Edelweiß

The Edelweiß, originated on the Russian Steppes and in antiquity has been spread throughout the higher elevations of Eastern Europe and the Alps.  There are numerous varieties of this flower.  Edelweiß, which in German literally translates as ‘noble’ and ‘white’, denotes purity.  The Greeks named the plant, lion’s paw, while the Roman’s referred to it as the Queen’s Flower.

Edelweiß plants do not produce snowy white blossoms, as Rogers and Hammerstein‘s lyrics to the song ‘Edelweiss’ suggest; the showy, hair covered rosettes are not flower petals at all but silvery white leaves, with a tinge of green. The actual flower centers are golden yellow from pollen.

The Edelweiß is found in its alpine form generally between altitudes of 5,500 and 8,800 feet.  However, the flower can be successfully grown at sea level, though will have green leaves rather than white!  The Edelweiß prefers light soils with excellent drainage and a southern exposure, where it can to form large herbal mats, growing from 3 to 8 inches tall.

Edelweiß flowers are classified as short lived perennials, which after being picked during a number of growing seasons from the same plant, are unable to propagate by seeding and will disappear from a formerly established area.