Everlasting picardii Essential oil Spain

Spanish everlasting is a variety of Helichrysum that grows in Andalusia, Spain, and southern Portugal. This hardy perennial herbaceous plant forms shrubs of downy, silver-green leaves. The fuzzy, whitish stems bear long, narrow leaves. The flowers are a golden-yellow color and form clusters at the stem tops. The flowers have no petals; instead, they are made of shiny, translucent, dry bracts. This morphological feature means the flowers can remain "eternally in bloom," hence the name "everlasting." The flowering tops are harvested manually with a sickle. Mechanized harvest is impossible because the plants are protected and grow in the wild in a nature preserve. The fragrance of Spanish everlasting essential oil is herbaceous, spicy, and fresh. It also has a terpene facet that differentiates it from Balkan everlasting.

Everlasting is a plant dedicated to the sun. The sunny-yellow color and shiny bracts led to its botanical name of Helichrysum, which comes from the Greek helios, "sun," and chrysum, "gold." Further, everlasting is a heat- and sun-loving plant that prefers arid soils. In Ancient Greece, everlasting flowers were braided into crowns to honor the god Apollo. A symbol of eternity, picking everlasting on Saint John's Eve has long been part of a special ritual.

Advised uses : Aromatherapy, Perfumery, Cosmetic, Alimentary