Edelweiss-Leontopodium Flower
Edelweiss flower is the National Flower of Switzerland. The scientific name of the flower is Leontopodium and commonly known as Edelweiss. Leontopodium is meant the lion’s paw. One of the best flower in the European mountain flower. Edelweiss blooms season is annually June, July, August, and September month. The flowers are one of the reasons for Switzerland’s beauty.
The Edelweiss flower is native to Albania, Austria, Bosnia, France, Italy, Poland, Croatia, Bulgaria, Herzegovina, Germany, Serbia, Montenegro, Romania, Spain, Slovakia, Slovenia, Ukraine, and Switzerland.
The plants prefer rocky limestone places at about 1500-3400m elevation. The flower is belonging to the sunflower and Dairy family. Leontopodium is a genus of herbaceous perennials with clusters of small flowers. It is non-toxic and has been used in traditional medicine or folk medicine as a remedy against abdominal and respiratory diseases.
The plant's leaves and flowers are covered with white hairs. The dense hair appears to be an adaptation to high altitudes, protecting the plant from cold, aridity, and ultraviolet radiation. Flowering stalks of Edelweiss can grow to a size of 3–20 centimeters in the wild or up to 40 cm in cultivation. Each bloom consists of five to six small yellow clustered spikelet florets surrounded by fuzzy white petals in a double-star formation.
The flower's common name derives from the German word Edelweiss. In Romania, it's known as Flore de colt. In the Italian speaks the Alps the flower. In the French Alps is called as Star of the Alps.
