Helichrysum Species, Curry Plant, Immortelle, Italian Strawflower

On Jul 30, 2013, plantlover13 from new york,
United States wrote:

Just FYI, "cutty plant" is NOT the same as curry leaf tree, which is what is used as a flavoring. Murraya koenigii is the edible one.

On Aug 6, 2012, kimfall from Buda, TX wrote:

I just ruined a whole pot of stew with this plant. It has a STRONG bitter taste, in spite of it's delicious smell. Do not use it for cooking. I am concerned about feeding this stew to my children. Is the plant unsafe to eat? It tastes horrible.

On Jul 3, 2012, lotone67 from Reno, TX wrote:

Love this plant. Grows with no effort on my part whatsoever. Bought two in little four inch pots about four years ago and both are the size of small bushes now. The aroma is intoxicating, I love it. Our winters here in North Texas have no effect on them whatsoever, not even a couple of nasty ice storms that had them completely buried in ice and snow. When they finally thawed out they looked like nothing at all had happened to them....awesome.

On Jan 25, 2010, Cixi from Addis Ababa,
Ethiopia wrote:

An excellent plant. I had one for several years, then it died (I think when we had a very hot weekend and it didn't get watered). I wanted to get another one but couldn't find one right away, so kept the dead one for a while - it still has scent!

On Feb 5, 2008, Mclovin from Rockville, MD wrote:

This plant is used for cooking, but unlike the indian curry leaves this plant is not eaten. Add it to soups or stews and remove it. It is known to irritate the stomach when eaten. That is why it is not popular in the culinary world. I like to steam fish in wine and throw in herbs including silver leaf curry, but I then remove it without eating it.

On Jun 11, 2007, jic from Camberley,
United Kingdom (Zone 8a) wrote:

ManicReality is mistaken: Helichrysum italicum is not used in Indian food, and got the name Curry Plant simply because it smells like curry powder.

It is edible, but it tastes nothing like it smells: it's grassy with a bitter aftertaste (or sometimes just bitter), and in my opinion it's best used for flavoring meats before roasting. I have also seen it recommended for salads, sandwiches (especially with cream cheese), and for boiling with vegetables or rice. I wouldn't consider it valuable as a herb; it's mainly grown as an ornamental. In other words, it isn't grown because it's used as a herb; it's used as a herb because people are growing it anyway.

Because of its name, it is often confused with Curry Leaf, Murraya koenigii.

On May 28, 2007, jackie4762 from South Wales,
United Kingdom wrote:

I love this plant - its colour provides interest and structure in the herbaceous border and it smells wonderful when disturbed. It likes a sunny, but sheltered spot. I prune it back to (but not into) old wood in the spring to encourage new growth otherwise it gets straggly and woody. As for cooking with it, the leaves of the plant that is used in making curries comes from the Indian bay or Curry leaf (Botanical name: Murraya koenigii).

On Apr 7, 2006, givemeliberti from Tallahassee, FL wrote:

I was told it was not "really" edible at Tallahassee Nursery, so I'm wondering if it is or not. I'll keep searching the web for more info. Please let me know if your know for sure if it's edible.

On Jan 27, 2004, kviolette from Raleigh, NC (Zone 8a) wrote:

This is a drought and sun tolerant plant surviving upon a stacked stone wall with a full western sun exposure close to a large pine tree. The curry fragrance gives pleasure to work or water around.

With no protection or covering, this plant winters over here in Raleigh, NC with no die back and little to no leaf burn. Perhaps the dry conditions aid in this?

Evergreen, silvery gray-green foliage and early summer golden yellow button-like blooms in early summer.

On Nov 11, 2003, ShadowsChaseMe from Adelaide,
Australia wrote:

I have this growing in the dwarf variety, it's silver foliage is almost white and stunning against the red brick path. The nursery told me that you can cook with the leaves, sautee'd in oil, they give a nice taste to onions as a flavour base for stews and curries.