I think what you are describing is called in North America an
everlasting.
YES That is exactly what I meant by a strawflower. This lends strenth that tolkein was refrerring to the Uilos Alfirin as these flowers are not even remotely bell shaped but are star shaped (okay sun shaped but that's pretty close)
I'm actually located in the NE corner of North America so it is quite possible that we are talking about diffent wisterias (I meant the old
W. Chinensis) I agree that two or three vines will pull down a house. One on its own has already smothered several trees on my property and another one was recently cut down before it snapped a telephone pole in half!
I agree that tulsi is also a good athelas choice. for the record the leaves are shaped much like convential sweet basil but are grey an a little fuzzy the smell is somewhat liquorice like. It makes a very tasty and relaxing tea. If tsulsi is athelas I am only glad that Tolkein did not add a version of its orgin story to the lore. since the Indian legend of where tutsli came from while interesting is a little on greusome side. (Basically the legend says that the gods honored the first Indian woman who threw herself on her husbands funeral pyre by making tulsi from the charred remains of her hair.) you can find a picture at
www.nilacharal.com
okay here's the list as promised
mallow-www.humeseeds.com
lily of the valley-www.merliannews.com
copper beech-www.gardenplansireland.com
wood anemone -www.naturephoto-cz.com
spanish moss -www.crowleymuseumnaturectr.org
white lilac -www.people.cornell.edu
Cassia fistulosa-plants.usda.gov
mingionette-www.artvilla.com
Cinnamon tree-www.comfsm.fm
bay laurel-groups.msn.com
sedum-www.directgardening.com
persimmon tree-The American persimmon tree
ebony-www.sfrc.ufl.edu
laburnumthe-plant-directory.com
Koelreuteria-www.lacity.org (please note corrected spelling)
scarlet pimpernel-www.kenbowles.net
snowdrop-www.valhallagardens.com
bellfower-ppng.home.comcast.net
pennyroyal-www.djroger.com
horehound-kaweahoaks.com
wisteria-www.nps.gov