To date, there are many different legends associated with this resistant mountain flower. They reflect the amazing properties of this wonderful plant.
Edelweiss - resistant mountain flower
This lovely plant is found on the hills and slopes of the Alps, Carpathians, Himalayas and even in the Far East. It successfully develops among the destroyed rocks and rock fragments. The flower can be found in narrow gorges, where the wind does not blow and the remains of snow and rain are stored. Where edelweiss grows, there is always enough light, because they tenderly stretch towards the sun with their delicate petals.
At first glance, the flower may not seem very attractive. But having gotten to know him better, many appreciated him and began to grow him in their front gardens. Edelweiss got its name due to external similarity with the back of the lion's paw. That is what his name in Latin, “Leontopodium,” sounds like. Indeed, when the buds bloom and become covered with an abundance of delicate villi, they resemble a cat's paw. 
The edelweiss flower pictured in the wild is the true proof of this similarity.
Residents of Switzerland consider this flower a symbol of their country and call it the “Queen of the Alps”.If you want to create a piece of Switzerland in a flower bed, plant this particular flower.
Detailed description of the plant
Many gardeners are well aware of how an edelweiss flower looks in a natural environment. Therefore, do not be afraid to grow it in their summer cottages. Looking at the plant, you can see that it consists of the following elements:
- Single upright shoots about 25 cm high.
- Root socket of lanceolate leaves lying on the ground.
- Delicate buds of white or yellow color, abundantly pubescent with silk pile.
Edelweiss blooms in mid-summer, when the last echoes of low temperatures go into oblivion. It decorates a flower bed for about 20 days, as well as the Alps mountain slopes in Switzerland. Its inflorescences consist of several original baskets in the form of twisted buds of white or yellow color. Around them are linear leaves, covered with an abundance of delicate villi. Thanks to this combination, an elaborate asterisk inherent in edelweiss.
Petals of buds are also abundantly pubescent, so it seems that they are poured out of wax. These tiny lumps seem to peep out from under the snow lying on star-shaped leaf plates. Such beauty leaves no one indifferent, so many people like this mountain flower of love.
As a result of successful pollination on peduncles, cylindrical seeds are formed, containing many seeds. They can be used to breed this wonderful flower.
Popular types of edelweiss
Before you start growing this legendary plant, you should get acquainted with its popular species. To date, biologists have about 40 different options. Consider some of them.
Alpine
In the natural environment, this type of edelweiss is found on open limestone, rocks or steep slopes. Small bushes( about 25 cm high) consist of several curved shoots that go out from the rosette. During the flowering period, buds gathered in baskets appear framed with star-shaped leaves. Thanks to a thick layer of villi, it seems as if white snow is lying on the leaves. Truly an amazing sight!
In order to preserve the main features of the species, the Alpine edelweiss is advisable to propagate in spring or autumn in a vegetative way.
Dwarf
In nature, such an edelweiss grows in the mountains at an altitude of 5000 m. Nevertheless, it is successfully grown in home beds. It will grow only up to 10 cm. It has lanceolate leaves forming an outlet, in the center of which an inflorescence of 5 buds appears.
This miniature white edelweiss is best grown in rock gardens using drainage soil. It can be propagated using spring cutting or autumn sowing of seeds.
Siberian
Plants of this type form large bushes with large shoots and leaf plates. White buds look original against the glossy dark green leaves. This variety is known as “Pilibinus” and is very similar to the Alpine edelweiss. The difference is only in the size of the inflorescences. In the natural environment is found in the mountainous and steppe regions of Eurasia, as well as on the Korean Peninsula.
When growing edelweiss at the dacha, it should be remembered that the plant likes permeable soil with a high content of lime.
Kuril
The flower grows only up to 15 cm in height. His amazing inflorescences, 5 cm in diameter, are wonderfully combined with dark green foliage of a linear nature. Around a dozen are located about a dozen of the rays, which are covered with white felt felts. The Kuril edelweiss begins to bloom in mid-summer and only by the fall forms a seed in the shape of a cylinder. The flower is used to form a rocky alpine hills, where it occupies a special place among the plants.
Two-tone
The original variety of edelweiss amazes with its artsy beauty. Its low bushes up to 35 cm consist of basal pubescent leaves and upright shoots. When it comes to flowering time, buds of white and yellow hues appear on them. Each of them is framed by leaf arrows of different lengths. This combination gives the plant a spectacular look and appeal.
As edelweiss grows in nature in open areas, it should be grown in areas with high access to sunlight. In the shade the plant may die.
