Leontopodium nivale subsp. alpinum
Edelweiss
Common names: Alpine edelweiss
At a glance
- Light
- Full sun
- Pot size
- from 5 l
- Lifespan
- Perennial
- Flowering
- Jun–Aug
- Hardiness
- Hardy down to −30 °C
- Water need
- Low
- Origin
- Native to Germany
Photo: Ghislain118 (AD) · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Source
This description was machine-translated.
Description
The edelweiss, botanically Leontopodium nivale subsp. alpinum, is considered a symbol of the Alps. It grows in the high alpine zone on lime-rich, stony grassland and rocks, and reaches only 5 to 20 cm in height. The silvery wool on the leaves and bracts protects it from sun, cold and drying out. What looks like a single flower is a star of felty bracts surrounding several small, yellowish white flower heads, visible in gardens from June to August. It suits rock gardens, gravel beds, dry walls and planting troughs. For a long plant life, a dry position in winter is essential, as the cold itself does not harm it. In the wild, edelweiss is protected: it must not be picked or dug up, and plants and seed are available from nurseries.
Care instructions
Plant edelweiss in spring in a full sun, warm position with lean, very well-drained soil, ideally in a rock garden or on a small mound of gravel. Water only after planting and during long dry periods, as it does not tolerate wet roots. Fertilizer and compost are not needed. A layer of gravel around the root collar keeps the leaves dry. Cut back spent flowers in late summer or leave the seed heads standing, and it will often self-sow in gravel crevices. In rainy regions it is often short-lived. To keep it in the garden longer, occasionally grow new plants from seed.
The care notes were machine-translated from German.
Garden year
SowingMar–May
FloweringJun–Aug
Germination
- Soil temperature
- from 8 °C, ideally 15 °C
- Days to sprout
- 14 to 35 days
- Light
- Needs light to sprout
- Sowing depth
- Press in, don't cover
- How to start
- Start indoors, then plant out
Soil & site
Soil pH
Soil type
well-drained, lean, lime-loving, dry
Edelweiss grows in the Alps on lime-rich, stony soils and needs lean, very free-draining ground in the garden too. Mix plenty of grit, gravel or coarse sand into the garden soil until water drains away immediately. If your soil is acidic, add some lime. Waterlogging and winter wet are the most common reason for losses. It does not tolerate humus-rich, rich soil.
Feeding
Light feeder
Edelweiss needs no fertiliser. It is adapted to barren mountain soils, and too much food makes the plant soft and prone to rot. In a container too, it is enough to swap the top layer of soil for fresh, mineral soil in spring.
Overwintering
Edelweiss withstands severe frost; it comes from the high mountains. What is dangerous is winter wet in the lowlands. So plant it in a slightly raised, stony spot and lay a layer of grit around the root collar. In very rainy areas, you can cover the cushion in winter with a pane of glass propped up so that air can circulate. In a container, stand the pot against a house wall protected from rain, with no water in the saucer.
Propagation
Methods
- From seed
- Division
Sowing is the usual way. From March, scatter the seeds on a tray of lean, sandy soil and just press them down, because edelweiss germinates in light. Keep the soil evenly slightly moist and stand the tray in a bright place at about 15 to 20 °C; after two to four weeks the seedlings come up. From May, plant the young plants in their place. You can divide older plants in spring. Buy seed and plants from a nursery; never collect in the wild.
Companion planting
Companion planting is partly traditional gardening lore. Where the reason is known, it is given.
Some of these explanations were machine-translated.
For your garden
Grow Edelweiss yourself
Gartenkern tells you when frost is coming, when to sow and when to harvest, for your location.
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