Flowers

All About Edelweiss Flowers

When most American people think about Edelweiss flowers, the first thing that comes to mind is the song that is sung in The Sound of Music, but little do people know that there is a romantic story behind this flower.

Edelweiss flowers can be found growing in Germany in areas at altitudes of at least 5,600 feet on up to around 9,000 feet. They are a protected plant in several countries, including Poland, Serbia, Austria, Italy and Germany. Edelweiss grows well in light soil that have good drainage. They grow best in areas with a Southern exposure.

If you translate the word “Edelweiss”, it means “noble” and “white”. So where did it get its name? Well, in the good old days, men would venture out into the alps to collect these flowers for their loved ones. Edelweiss was not always easy to get to, and sometimes these men would fall from icy ledges and snowy peaks. It was not uncommon to hear of men falling to their death trying to collect these beautiful flowers. If you were successful and able to bring these flowers home to your loved one, you were considered a brave man as well as one that risked his life to prove his love. This is the reason today that German men will proudley wear this flower. Unlike here in the United States, where wearing something flowered is considered unmanley, wearing this flower in Germany was like a wearing a medal of honor!

Aside from the notoriety of this flower, it was also considered the “flower of emperors and kings”. Some of the famous people that loved this flower was Austrian Emperor Franz Josef, Empress Elizabeth, German Kaiser Wilhelm I and also probably more well known was King Ludwig II of Bavaria (the king who built the famous Neuschwanstein Castle).

Most people may think that the Edelweiss flower is actually a flower, but in reality, it is not. They do not produce blossoms. Their petals are actually leaves that have a soft fine furry hair covering – and white with a light tinge of green.

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