Perennial of the Asteraceae family, Helichrysum bellidioides is native to New Zealand, where it is widely spread across the two main islands. It colonizes alpine meadows, rocky screes, open slopes, and windy ridges, from subalpine levels to high mountain areas, often above 1,000 meters.
The plant forms a creeping and dense carpet, 5 to 10 cm in height, gradually spreading over rocks and between stones. The slender stems, woody at the base, bear small oval to spatulate leaves, dark green on the upper side and covered with a dense white felt underneath, a striking contrast often found in New Zealand alpine plants exposed to cold winds and intense sunlight.
The flower heads, solitary at the top of short erect stems, open into white flowers with well-spread scarious bracts in regular rays, around a pale yellow-green central disc. Their resemblance to small papery daisies explains the epithet bellidioides. In its natural habitat, it blooms from November to January in the southern hemisphere; in cultivation under our latitudes, it occurs from May to July.
In rock gardens, it requires well-drained soil, slightly acidic to neutral, in full sun or light partial shade. Hardy to about -10 °C in dry soil, it is especially wary of stagnant winter moisture. Its generous flowering and covering habit make it a valuable ground cover for natural-style rock gardens.