Flowers of the Alps

Edelweiss (same in German)

Leontopodium nivale subsp. Alpinum

(Photographed in a not easy to get-to place just off the track of the Sommerwand
above the Franz Senn Hut (2147m) in the Stubai Alps
by Allan Hartley)

The Edelweiss (Edelweiß: edel – noble; weiß– white) is a member of the daisy family. and found growing at altitudes between 1500 – 3000m, in particular on limestone.

The plant is some 50-80mm in height. Blooming between July and September, flowers appear on individual flower stalks of between 3 – 20cm. Each bloom comprises a small, inner cluster of five to six yellow spikelets which is surrounded by a second star of white, pointed "petals". Both the leaves and flowers are covered with a fine hair, which both give the plant a velvet-like texture and appearance, and are believed to provide protection against the cold, UV and the dry conditions found at altitude.

The Edelweiss is protected throughout the Alps, though it is not un-common to find Edelweiss growing quite happily outside in gardens and as pot plants. The flower is the national flower of Austria, and also the much-revered emblem of both the Austrian and German Alpenverein.

Note: not to be confused with the song of the same name, but quite different provenance (Edelweiss - written by Rogers and Hammerstein as an original song for the musical “Sound of Music”).

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