Helichrysum populifolium

Helichrysum populifolium, commonly known as the poplar helichrysum, is woody at the stem base. Growing to 2 m in height, it is one of the largest among local helichrysums.

As the names indicate, the plant's leaves resemble the poplar tree. The large, soft, green to grey leaves are conspicuously heart-shaped at the base, oblong or oval with round to obtusely pointed tips. The margins are entire and wavy. The blades are covered in fine, whitish felted hairs, especially on the lower surface. White net-veining radiates from the base across the leaf surfaces.

The flowers are honey-scented, small and white to yellow, made conspicuous by the size of their grouping into abundant panicles that appear in autumn.

The species distribution is coastal in KwaZulu-Natal and the Eastern Cape from Noodsberg to Port St Johns.

The habitat is shady forest edges, cliffs and rocky outcrops. The habitat population is deemed of least concern early in the twenty first century (Pooley, 1998; iNaturalist; http://earthlandscapes.blogspot.com; www.plantzafrica.com; http://redlist.sanbi.org).