How big does Curry plant grow?

About 60 cm × 90 cm after ten years (height × width). Its ultimate size is 40–70 cm × 0.6–1 m.

What soil does Curry plant grow in?

It tolerates these soils: sandy, calcareous, average garden soil.

Is Curry plant hardy?

Hardy down to -12 °C (USDA zone 8, RHS H5). Outdoors in this country it only survives with winter protection, or in a pot overwintered frost-free.

When does Curry plant flower?

Flowering: June–September, yellow.

How much water does Curry plant need?

Water need: low. Drought tolerance: high.

Curry plant

Helichrysum italicum

Curry plant (Helichrysum italicum) is a perennial that reaches 60 cm × 90 cm after ten years. Light: full sun. Hardy down to -12 °C. Drought tolerance: high.

Illustration of Curry plant — An illustration of the typical shape of the mature plant, not a photo.

What it's good for, and what it isn't

A silver-grey evergreen subshrub with needle-thin leaves that give off a strong curry scent in sunshine and after rain, and mustard-yellow flower clusters in summer that also dry well. It is a Mediterranean plant: it only thrives in baking sun and lean, gritty or sandy, very free-draining soil, where it needs next to no care in drought. It copes badly with cold, wet winters and can be relied on only down to about -10 to -12 °C, so plant it against a sheltered south-facing wall or keep it in a pot and overwinter it somewhere bright and frost-free. Trim it lightly after flowering to keep it compact.

Watch out for

In Central Europe it is only borderline hardy: below about -10 to -12 °C, especially in snowless, windy frost and winter wet, it dies back or is killed outright, so in colder areas it has to be replaced every year or overwintered in a pot somewhere frost-free. In a sheltered spot on gritty soil, covered with conifer branches or fleece, it gets through milder winters. In heavy, waterlogged soil the roots rot. Within a few years it goes bare and splays open unless trimmed regularly.

Key facts

Light: Full sun
Water need: Low
Care: Medium
Size after 10 years: 60 cm × 90 cm
Hardiness: down to -12 °C
Foliage: Evergreen
Flowering: J F M A M J J A S O N D June–September, yellow

Group	Perennial
Light	Full sun
Size after 10 years	60 cm × 90 cm
Ultimate size	40–70 cm × 0.6–1 m
Hardiness	down to -12 °C (USDA 8, RHS H5)
Soil	Sandy, Calcareous, Average garden soil
Foliage	Evergreen
Flowering	June–September, yellow
Water need	Low
Drought tolerance	High
Maintenance	Medium
Root aggressiveness	Low
Suckering	no
Spreading	Low
Distance from buildings	no data
Distance from paving	no data
Litter	not typical
Planting distance	50 cm
For dogs	Non-toxic (uncertain)
For cats	Non-toxic (uncertain)
For children	Non-toxic (uncertain)
Typical price	no data

Toxicity data is for information only. If your pet or child has eaten a plant, contact a vet or a doctor.

Frequently asked questions

Data updated: October 8, 2026 · How our data is made

Appears in these lists

Perennials for full sun Perennials that flower all summer Drought-tolerant plants Drought-tolerant perennials Drought-tolerant plants for sandy soil Evergreen plants Perennials for pollinators Plants for containers Plants for a Mediterranean garden Fragrant plants Fragrant perennials

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