Xeranthemum annuum 'Superbissimum Purpureum'

Xeranthemum annuum ‘Superbissimum Purpureum’ is a hardy annual, everlasting flower long admired for its charm in both garden and home. It bears a profusion of papery, double-crested blooms, each 2 to 5cm wide, in a deep, rich purple with a silvery metallic sheen. The flowers shimmer in sunlight and stand gracefully above soft grey-green foliage on wiry, branching stems.

Flowering begins in early summer and continues freely until the first frosts, with the daisy-like blossoms remaining open even in dull weather. Easy and fast to grow, it thrives in full sun and well-drained soil, performing well even where conditions are poor. Though usually grown as an annual, in frost-free climates where temperatures remain above –1°C (30°F) they may behave as a short-lived perennial.

Cherished since Victorian times as an 'everlasting' or 'immortelle,' it was a favourite for dried bouquets, wreaths, and memorial work. Its lasting quality and rich colours made it symbolic of remembrance, and it became a staple of parlour decorations when fresh flowers were scarce in winter.
The papery petals retain both shape and colour when dried, making it one of the finest flowers for winter decoration, and a classic choice for long-lasting arrangements as well as summer borders.

Sowing: Sow in early spring indoors or direct sow once all risk of frost has passed
Choose a position with a well-drained soil that is moist to on the dry side; they will tolerate drought and will even thrive in poor ground where other annuals sulk. Ideally they should be exposed to the sun half the day or more.

Sowing Indoors:
Sow into individual pots or trays of seed compost. Use well drained soil and cover lightly. Keep the compost moist. Germination will take place in 10 to 14 days at around 18°C. Prick out to individual pots, transplant into 7.5cm (3in) pots or trays.
When seedlings are large enough to handle, prick out into individual 7.5cm (3in) pots and grow on in cooler conditions before hardening off and planting out after the last frost.
Gradually acclimatise to outdoor conditions for 10 to 15 days before planting out in growing position after the last expected frosts. Space 25cm (10in) apart.

Sowing Direct:
Sow directly outdoors from April to June once the soil has warmed. Prepare the ground well and rake to a fine tilth. If sowing more than one annual in the same bed, mark the sowing areas with a ring of sand and label.
Sow 5mm (¼ in) deep in rows 7cm (3in) apart. Sow sparingly or they will choke out other seedlings. Keep soil moist during germination.
The seedlings will appear in rows approx 3 to 4 weeks after planting and can be easily told from nearby weed seedlings. Thin the seedlings out as necessary so they are finally 25 to 30cm (10 to 12in) apart. Carefully replant thinned plants.

Cultivation:
Feed with a fertiliser low in phosphorus. Water regularly. Do not allow the soil to become bone dry, or the plant will die.
A moist soil is better, but it needs good drainage, established plants can take some drought. Remove spent flowers to encourage further blooming

Dried Flowers:
The Double Mix Immortelle is essential for dried flowers bouquets and wreaths. Cut when the buds begin to open and hang them by the stem, upside down in small bunches in a shady dry area for a couple of weeks before being used. If they are left to dry on the plant, they turn tan or light brown so need to be cut and left to dry with their heads down.

Nomenclature:
Named by Linnaeus in 1753, the genus name Xeranthemum is from Greek xeros meaning 'dry' and anthemon 'flower'. Literally 'dry flower'
The species name annuum simply means that it is an annual flower.
The alternative species name bracteatum comes from Latin bractea, meaning a thin plate or scale, and in botany it refers to a bract, those modified, leaf-like structures that sit just beneath a flower head. So bracteatum literally means 'having conspicuous bracts' or 'bract-bearing.' In Xeranthemum bracteatum, it describes the showy, papery bracts that look like petals and give the 'everlasting' flowers their colour and texture.
The plant long known as Xeranthemum bracteatum has been reclassified several times as botanists refined the daisy family tree. You may also see it listed as Helichrysum bracteatum, Bracteantha bracteata or, more correctly today, Xerochrysum bracteatum. Seed catalogues often keep the older name because it is familiar to gardeners. To add to the confusion, Xeranthemum annuum is sometimes mistakenly used, but this is a different species altogether. Whatever the label, these are the same much-loved 'Everlastings' or 'Strawflowers' that have filled borders and dried bouquets since Victorian times.

The Everlasting Clan:
Several plants are grouped under the name 'everlastings' or 'strawflowers,' (and in Dutch 'Strobloem') prized for their papery blooms that keep their colour when dried.
They belong to the daisy family but sit in different genera, which explains the jumble of names you may find on labels and in books:

• Ammobium alatum (Winged Everlasting) — white flowers with a yellow eye, delicate filler in fresh and dried work.
  
• Helichrysum italicum (Curry Plant) — grown more for foliage and scent than as a cut flower.
  
• Helichrysum petiolare (Licorice Plant) — trailing type, valued in baskets, not usually dried.
  
• Rhodanthe chlorocephala (Pink Paper Daisy) — an Australian everlasting with soft pink blooms.
  
• Xerochrysum bracteatum (Strawflower, Golden Everlasting) — still often sold as Xeranthemum or Helichrysum bracteatum.
  
• Xeranthemum annuum (Annual Everlasting) — a true Xeranthemum, with silvery foliage and papery white to violet flowers.