comes from German "edel" noble and "weiss" white and was popularized in the 19th century as high mountain exercized its irresistible attract on people from the plain. The genus Leontopodium (from Greek "foot of lion") finds its origin in mountains of Asia where it's represented by more than thirty species whereas only two exist in Europe. When cultivated in plain Edelweiss grows higher and loses the density of its so beautiful cottony coating of its natural habitat.
Edelweiss (noble and white) the queen of the mountain flowers is a small white and woolly flowering plant that grows high in the rocky cliffs of the Austrian and Bavarian alps. In the alpine tradition one says that "only the elite can reach the Edelweiss". The connotation and innuendo is that only the experienced mountain climbers the elite can climb up to the
Edelweiss.
Alpine folklore explains that a young man will climb the steep cliffs pluck an Edelweiss and bring it to his beloved. Tales of love and tragedy surround this daring feat of climbing the Alps fetching the Edelweiss as proof of pure love and worthiness. Even today there is a Rock/Rapp song called "If you really love me bring me an Edelweiss" sung in English by an Austrian group.
The latest research however initially in a book dating from 1910 but ony recently recovered indicates that Edelweiss the flower was actually imported from Asia sometime within the past centuries. What a travisty of justice for virually the national symbol of Austria and the Alps!
Bad enough that Edelweiss may not have originated in the alps but the final irony is that due to ecological problems in Europe and the
alps in particular Edelweiss the flower is being considered an endangered species of vegetation. Because of this already in the
fall of 1990 a number of Edelweiss plants were "evacuated" to New Zealand to a new protected home for preservation and propagation.
- very rare
- perfect for rock gardens
- hardy zone 4-6
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