A perennial of the Asteraceae family, Helichrysum bellum is native to South Africa, where it grows in the mountainous regions of the Eastern Cape and KwaZulu-Natal, on open rocky slopes and high-altitude meadows, generally between 1,500 and 2,800 meters. Its epithet, which simply means "beautiful," is well justified by the quality of its flowers.
The plant forms a sprawling basal rosette of oval to elliptical, bright green leaves, slightly veined, with a smooth and almost glabrous appearance, which clearly distinguishes it from most other Helichrysum with gray or woolly foliage. From this rosette rise slender, branched stems, 20 to 40 cm tall, each bearing a few solitary flower heads.
The flowers are remarkable: large, well-opened flower heads with pure white, papery bracts arranged in broad, neat rays, framing a bright and generous golden yellow central disc. The whole evokes a papery daisy with great graphic clarity. In its natural habitat, it blooms from November to February; in cultivation in our latitudes, it blooms from June to August.
In rock gardens, Helichrysum bellum appreciates well-drained, rather poor soil, in full sun. Its hardiness is moderate, around -8 to -10 °C in perfectly dry soil; in regions with wet winters, protection or pot cultivation with cold shelter is advised. The freshness of its green foliage and the whiteness of its flowers make it a particularly attractive species among rock garden immortelles.