Edelweiss
Edelweiss (
Leontopodium alpinum) is one of the best known
European mountain flowers. The name comes from
German edel (meaning
noble) and
weiß (meaning
white).
Description
- The flower can grow to a size of 3 - 20 cm.
- The leaf is felted and woolly with white hairs.
- The flowers are felted and woolly with white hairs, with characteristic bloom consisting of 5 - 6 small yellow flowerheads (0.5 cm) surrounded by leaflets in star form.
- The flowers are in bloom between July and September.
- Edelweiss can be found on rocky lawns, limestone rocks, meadows (more rarely), it is unequally distributed and prefers rocky limestone places at 2000 - 2900 m altitude.
- Edelweiss can be found at high mountains in Europe, in the Pyrenees, Alps and Carpathian Mountains.
- It is not toxic.
- Edelweiss is a protected plant.
On the Austrian euro coins, a picture of Edelweiss is used on the two euro cent coins. In Austria, Edelweiss is also a brand of beer named after the flower.
In Switzerland, the Edelweiss Air AG is an international airline named after the flower, who also uses it as their logo.
