Ammobium

alatum

WINGED EVERLASTING

Ammobium alatum
WINGED EVERLASTING

Ammobium alatum is an old fashioned “Immortelle” – an everlasting flower.

Historic “Immortelle”

The beautiful and dainty Winged Everlasting was an essential in 1820’s gardens and floristry, when it was called “The White Immortelle” (White Everlasting).

Prettiness to last all winter

Creating a sensation amongst Georgian and Victorian gardeners, because the cut flowers lasted all winter – in a vase or a Christmas wreath.
And it has never fallen from favour since those long gone centuries – still an essential in floristry, picking patches, and pretty flower beds.

Blooms with hundreds of pearls

Ammobium alatum begins blooming with a myriad of tiny white buds – looking like a hundreds of pearls.

Myriad of petite white stars

Then the pearl buds open to flocks of dainty stars – all pointed petals and shiny, glistening white.
Finally the petals reflex back to reveal sunshine yellow eyes.

As lovely in the garden as in the vase

But you don’t have to be keen on floristry to love growing The Winged Everlasting.

Long blooming over summer & autumn

It is very long blooming over summer and autumn and makes a lovely mist of white flowers between bolder plants, roses or shrubs.

Essential for professional florists

However professional florists would be lost without their Winged Everlastings to fill in arrangements.
Ammobium alatum is one of the most reliable, easy to grow, and prolific blooming of the “Everlasting Daisies”.
Branching clusters of the dainty flowers are held on long, stiff, clean, winged stems, so easy to harvest.

Harvesting for maximum vase life

Cut the stems right to the base when the pearl buds are half open. Plunge into deep fresh water.
Then fresh vase life is approx. 10 days.

Harvesting for valuable dried flowers

For dried flowers – cut before the yellow centres show.
Then immediately immediately hang the cut stems upside down in a warm, dry place out of direct light, and leave to dry for about 2 weeks.

White blossoms for many months

The resulting flower heads will retain their glistening white for many many months.
While the stems remain stiff and strong too.

Environmentally friendly confetti

Today the good old “Immortelle” is very popular for making environmentally friendly confetti and pot pourri.

Sure-fire easy to grow

Ammobium alatum is sure-fire easy to grow.
Plant in Full Sun (direct sowing seed into the garden is popular, as it is so easy).
Soil should be well drained and not too rich.

Water wise & heat hardy

Plants are tough and can withstand periods of dry once established – they are not thirsty plants.
They also revel in heat.

Quick & easy from seed to flower

From sowing the seed to flowering is usually about 75-85 days.

Hardy perennial

Ammobium alatum is actually a perennial plant that will deliver flowers for many years in the garden.
But it is so easy to grow from seed – it is often treated as an annual by commercial flower growers.

Rabbit & deer resistant

Fortunately rabbits and deer find the tough fibrous stems and papery everlasting flowers – just not juicy enough. Oh so sorry (not).

Joy for bees & pollinators

But delighted to say bees, butterflies and lots of flying pollinators just adore the nectar and pollen on offer over the very long blooming period.

SEED SOWING ADVICE: QUICK & EASY
Suitable for beginners & gardening with kids

Sow Ammobium alatum seeds outdoors in spring by scattering directly in the garden. Sow after frosts have passed & soil has warmed.
OR
Sow indoors at any time, whenever suitable temperatures are available (15-20°C.) for maximum germination rate.

Sow indoors for quick & early plants: First sow the seeds in  a punnet on the surface of good quality seed raising mix.
Then only lightly dust the surface with sieved mix.
But do not bury with mix, as these seeds need light to germinate.

Then thoroughly moisten the mix by standing the sown punnet in a shallow water bath.
And allowing the moisture to percolate to the surface from below.

Now place the punnet in a warm, well-lit place (but not in any direct sunlight as this will dry the seeds out and stop germination).
You can use a heat mat if you have one, but it is not essential, as these seeds are willing germinators.

Continue to keep consistently moist by misting regularly from a spray water bottle.
And covering the punnet with a clear plastic lid / bag helps to retain consistent moisture.
(Make sure you remove the cover as soon as sprouting commences).

Temperatures of 15-20°C. are ideal for rapid and maximum germination.

Seeds begin to germinate in 10-14 days approx.

Then pot on the seedlings as soon as the first set of true leaves develop – to harden off and mature. Before finally planting out in the garden.

Seed Count: 100 seeds per pack approx.
(We always aim to exceed the stated seed count and give a generous serve)

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