Helichrysum Bracteatum King Size Salmon

Helichrysum Bracteatum King Size Salmon Seeds

(Strawflower / Everlasting Flower — Salmon, Peach and Coral)

Helichrysum bracteatum King Size Salmon belongs to the same premium King Size series as King Size Red, sharing the same tall 100 cm stature, large 4–5 cm papery flower heads, strong multi-branching stems, and exceptional performance as both fresh cut and dried everlasting flowers. Where King Size Red delivers a single saturated crimson statement color, King Size Salmon offers something different and complementary — a mix of soft salmon hues through to dark orange, almost red, creating a naturally blended, warm-toned palette across individual blooms rather than a single uniform color.

A soft blend of pink, peach, and coral shades paint these beautiful blooms. Large double flowers measuring up to two and a half inches across are available to cut and bring indoors. Strawflowers retain their color when dried, making their appearance fresh or dried virtually the same. The earthy tones of this selection make it easy to pair with so many other colors in the garden.

Tall, well-branched plants produce double flowers on long stems. King Size Salmon is an attractive mix of salmon, peach, coral, and orange hues — excellent for creating dried flowers.
The warm, muted earthy quality of the salmon-peach-coral palette makes King Size Salmon one of the most versatile Helichrysum color selections for mixed arrangements and bouquets. The soft tones complement virtually every other cut flower color — white, cream, burgundy, lavender, dusty rose, orange, and terracotta — giving it exceptional pairing flexibility compared to stronger, more dominant single colors.

The substantial blooms are held atop strong multi-branching bright green stems. The flowers are perfect for cutting, they have a subtle silky sheen and are striking in all stages, from bud to fully opened.

As with all Helichrysum bracteatum varieties, King Size Salmon is a true everlasting flower — dried blooms retain full color and form indefinitely, making them permanently useful in wreaths, arrangements, crafts, and decorative displays long after harvest.
In Gulf conditions, King Size Salmon performs as an excellent cool-season cut and dried flower crop, sown in autumn for flowering from December through April. The heat and drought tolerance of the species ensures plants continue producing through the Gulf’s warming spring transition period.

Variety Details

• Variety: King Size Salmon
• Series: King Size
• Species: Helichrysum bracteatum
• Synonyms: Xerochrysum bracteatum, Bracteantha bracteata
• Common names: Strawflower, Everlasting Flower, Golden Everlasting
• Family: Asteraceae
• Breeder: Takii (Europe)
• Flower color: soft salmon, peach, coral, and deep orange — warm blend across blooms
• Flower diameter: 4–5 cm
• Flower texture: Papery bracts with subtle silky sheen
• Germination: 0–7 days at 20°C with light
• Days to flower: 80–90 days from sowing

Key Features

• Warm earthy palette — soft salmon, peach, coral, and deep orange in a naturally blended mix.
• Exceptionally versatile for pairing — earthy tones complement virtually any other cut flower color.
• Large papery flowers with subtle silky sheen — striking from bud to fully open.
• Tall 100 cm stems — excellent for cut flower and dried flower production.
• True everlasting flower — dried blooms retain color and shape indefinitely.
• Outstanding both fresh-cut and dried.
• Heat and drought tolerant once established.
• Well-branched plants produce profuse flowers per stem.
• Attracts beneficial insects and hummingbirds.

Plant Information

• Height: 100 cm
• Spread: 25–35 cm
• Plant type: Annual (perennial in native Australia)
• Habit: Upright, tall, multi-branching, well-structured
• Sun: Full sun
• Soil: Well-drained, average to poor fertility — tolerates dry and infertile soils; avoid waterlogging
• Water: Moderate — drought tolerant once established; do not overwater
• Spacing: 20–30 cm apart

Seed Germination

• Seed depth: Surface sow — press gently into soil surface; seeds require light to germinate; do NOT cover
• Germination time: 0–7 days at 20°C
• Ideal germination temperature: 18–26°C
• Surface sow on fine, moist, well-drained seed-starting mix at 20°C.
• Press seeds very lightly onto the surface without covering — light is essential for germination.
• Keep consistently moist throughout germination.
• Germination is very fast — typically within days at the correct temperature.

Growing Tips

• Sow King Size Salmon seeds on the surface of a fine moist seed-starting mix at 18–26°C without covering.
• Germination is fast — 0–7 days. Once seedlings develop 2–3 sets of true leaves, pot up and harden off gradually before transplanting to their final outdoor position 20–30 cm apart in full sun.
• Helichrysum thrives in well-drained to dry soils of average to low fertility — avoid rich, wet conditions which promote excessive leafy growth at the expense of flowering.
• Water moderately during establishment, then reduce.
• Established plants are drought tolerant and prefer to dry slightly between waterings. Do not overwater.
• For cut flower use, harvest stems when 2–3 flowers on each stem are just beginning to open.
• Place immediately in clean water. For dried flower use, harvest when flowers are one-third to half open, tie in small bunches, and hang upside down in a dark, warm, well-ventilated space for 2–3 weeks. Once dried, blooms are permanent.
• An important note for dried flower harvest: avoid overmature blooms — blooms that are very open will close in the dark and can appear to be at a good harvest stage while actually being overmature.
• Harvest on bright mornings or let harvested blooms set in light for a few hours to identify and discard overmature blooms.
• When dried, overmature blooms will shatter and appear discolored.
• In Gulf conditions, sow September–October for December–April flowering.
• Keep blooms harvested or deadheaded to maximize flower production throughout the season.

Gulf Planting Season

• Best sowing time in the Gulf: September–October (indoors or sheltered direct sow)
• Transplanting: October–November
• Expected flowering: December–April
• Note: Heat and drought tolerant — productive season extends into spring. Succession sow every 3–4 weeks to extend the harvest window continuously.

Fresh and Dried Flower Harvesting Guide

• Fresh cut: Harvest when 2–3 flowers per stem are just beginning to open; vase life 7–10 days
• Dried: Harvest when flowers are one-third to half open; hang in bunches upside down in dark, warm, well-ventilated space for 2–3 weeks
• Harvest tip: Harvest on bright mornings and check for overmature blooms which may mislead — overmature dried blooms will shatter
• Dried storage: Store in a dry, low-humidity environment away from direct light to preserve color
• Permanence: Full color and form retained indefinitely once properly dried

Garden and Floral Uses

• Professional fresh cut flower production
• Everlasting dried flower production — craft, floristry, wreaths, potpourri
• Mixed cottage garden borders and beds — warm earthy tones complement almost everything
• Mixed bouquets — exceptional pairing flexibility due to versatile salmon-peach-coral palette
• Dried flower wreaths, garlands, and permanent arrangements
• Attracts beneficial insects and hummingbirds