Actinotus helianthi (flannel flower)

Japanese name: フランネルフラワー
Scientific name: Actinotus helianthi

[Overview]
A perennial about 60 cm tall.
The whole plant is densely covered with soft white hairs, so it looks grayish.
The stems become woody.
The leaves are alternate, twice ternately compound, about 10 cm long and 7 cm wide, with rounded segments.
Head-like umbels at the stem tips bear many small white flowers densely.
The flowers have no petals.
At the base of the inflorescence there are 10–18 conspicuous petal-like involucral bracts, forming a cluster 5–8 cm across.
The bracts are elliptic to lanceolate with pointed tips, white to cream, with green tips.

[Cultivation]
Propagate from seed, but unauthorized transfer or sale of the plants you have propagated is prohibited, so keep them to personal enjoyment.
In areas without frost, it can overwinter outdoors with protection from the cold.
In areas with frost, keep it in a sunny place indoors in winter.
If kept at 15°C or above, it flowers in winter too.
It prefers acidic soil in a sunny, well-drained site.
When repotting, take care not to damage the roots.
Keep it out of the rain during long rainy spells.
Take care to avoid extreme dryness or excess moisture; for potted plants, water thoroughly when the soil surface dries, and for plants in the ground, rainfall is sufficient.
Apply quick-acting chemical fertilizer once every 2 months, or liquid fertilizer once a week.
If you are not collecting seed, remove spent flowers frequently.
In summer, cutting back each branch so that leaves remain improves ventilation and suppresses gray mold and spider mites.

[Notes]
The name compares the feel of the plant to flannel, a woven fabric.

View this page in Japanese (日本語)