Plant record

Strawflower

Xerochrysum bracteatum

Strawflowers hold summer after summer has left. They are useful if the garden should keep speaking in winter.

Rankspeciesreviewed
GenusXerochrysumAsteraceae
Species anchorXerochrysum bracteatumThis record is anchored to a stable botanical name, then adjusted for square-foot garden decisions.
Library score91/100deep plant record

Garden timing

Start indoors 4 to 6 weeks before last frost for strong cut stems.

Direct sow after soil warms if the season is long enough.

Transplant after frost into warm, draining soil.

Succession rhythm: about every 28 days.

Plant intelligence

Use one square for cut stems or dried flowers; keep it on an airy edge if humidity is high.

cut flowerpollinator

Lifecycle: annual

Habit: upright warm-season everlasting flower

Height: 24-40 inches

Spread: 10-18 inches

Germination: 7-14 days

Sow depth: 0.125 inches

Bloom: summer, fall

Attracts: bees, butterflies

Record score

91/100deep plant record
Taxonomy confidence94Xerochrysum bracteatum in Asteraceae; 2 cached source references.
Square-foot usefulness861 per square with none support.
Timing and care depth1003 planting windows, 60F minimum soil, 2 cautions.
Species and variety drill-down882 variety or cultivar options attached.
Annual flower intelligence90moderate pollinator value.
Source readiness82Ready for 4 external lookup paths.

Species identity

This record is anchored to a stable botanical name, then adjusted for square-foot garden decisions.

ScientificXerochrysum bracteatumFamilyAsteraceaeLookup namesStrawflower, Xerochrysum bracteatum, everlasting flower, paper daisy

Garden decision matrix

Square-foot fit1 per square
86Use one square for cut stems or dried flowers; keep it on an airy edge if humidity is high. Support: none.
Season behaviortender
100Indoor start. Direct sow. Transplant. Repeat about every 28 days.
Care loadlow water
80Wet feet make weak plants. Cut before flowers open too far for drying. Soil minimum 60F.
Bed ecosystem rolecut flower, pollinator
90moderate pollinator value; gold, orange, pink, red.
Variety depth2 options
88Tall cutting mixes are better for drying; dwarf types are better for containers and bed edges.

Species and variety notes

Tall cutting mixes are better for drying; dwarf types are better for containers and bed edges.

Tall Double Mixmix
78small-bed fit

The practical mix when dried stems are part of the plan.

Best use: cut and garden display. Tradeoff: match timing and spacing to the rest of the bed.

cut flower, dried flower, mixed colors75-95 days30-40 inches tall
Copper Redcultivar
64small-bed fit

A stronger color choice for late-season arrangements.

Best use: cut and garden display. Tradeoff: match timing and spacing to the rest of the bed.

bronze red, drying, warm palette75-90 days28-36 inches tall

Companions

zinnia, cosmos, basil, pepper

Cautions

Wet feet make weak plants.

Cut before flowers open too far for drying.

External enrichment

Cached name: Xerochrysum bracteatum. Optional lookups can compare GBIF, iNaturalist, Perenual, and Trefle without changing the reviewed garden record.

Open enrichment JSON

Data layers

FVF reviewed cachecachedSpacing, timing, variety, companion, and FVF notes used by the planner.
GBIF and iNaturalistlive no-keyNo-key taxonomy, common-name, and community context checks through the enrichment route.
USDA PLANTS downloadsreferencePeriodic identity, distribution, native status, and conservation reference layer.
Perenual or Trefleoptional keyOptional species images, care data, cultivar/synonym cleanup, then cache only reviewed fields.

API source score

Perenual API88/100optional key: Flower and ornamental drill-down, plant photos, care flags, toxicity, bloom data. Limit: Requires an API key and plan-aware caching, so it should enrich records without blocking the app.
Trefle API84/100optional key: Scientific names, subspecies, varieties, hybrids, synonyms, and broader botanical cleanup. Limit: Requires a token and should be treated as a reviewed import layer, not a live page dependency.
USDA PLANTS downloads82/100download cache: Standard names, plant symbols, distribution, native status, and conservation flags. Limit: Best consumed as periodic downloaded data instead of one-off runtime requests.
GBIF Species API78/100live public: Accepted scientific names, synonyms, family/genus cleanup, and occurrence context. Limit: Not a gardening advice source; pair it with local square-foot growing data.
iNaturalist taxa API72/100live public: Common-name discovery, taxon IDs, and regional biodiversity context. Limit: Observation data is not the same thing as garden suitability or crop timing.

USDA PLANTS Database

Plant identity, taxonomy, nativity, and conservation flags.

Source reference

GBIF Species API

Accepted scientific names, taxonomy matching, and occurrence context.

Source reference

Back to plant library