Modest and unpretentious edelweiss is able to decorate with its unusual appearance even the most demanding alpine hill. Translated from Latin, its name sounds like "lion's paw". This is due to the original shape of the pubescent flower. One of the many varieties of plants of this genus is alpine edelweiss, the photo of which you see below. It is very decorative, while not so difficult to grow and care for.
Description of the plant
As you might guess from the name, this species grows in the subalpine and alpine zones of Europe, Asia Minor and Central Asia. You can find a plant at a lower altitude relative to sea level. However, under such conditions, it loses its decorative felt pubescence. Alpine edelweiss grows on exposed limestones, gravelly slopes, rocks and eaves.
This is a herbaceous plant with slightly curved stems, forming compact bushes 20 to 30 cm high. They sometimes branch in the upper part. The leaves of the edelweiss of this variety are lanceolate, forming a beautiful basal rosette. Flowers of an unusual shape (in the formpaws) are collected in baskets that form shields. The fruit is a seed. Flowering lasts only two weeks in the middle of summer.
The whole plant as a whole is very heavily pubescent. Alpine edelweiss has a beautiful silvery green hue. In nature, this property serves as a special adaptation to the high- altitude cold climate with constant fogs. The plant is often depicted on coats of arms, coins, postage stamps. There are even Roman tombstones from the beginning of our millennium depicting flowers. Edelweiss is considered a symbol of mountains, inaccessibility, survival.
Use in horticultural crops
Because of its beauty and originality, edelweiss has long been used by man in gardening. It is especially relevant when creating rock gardens and slides. It looks good when landing in the foreground in small groups. The high decorativeness of the plant is preserved even after the end of the flowering period. A cut edelweiss can stand in water for a long time. When dried, it does not lose its shape and silver color, so it is often used in winter "dry" bouquets. The best neighbors on hills and in rock gardens will be miniature (dwarf) rose bushes, ageratum, aquilegia, violet and alpine aster.
Choosing a place and soil for a plant
It is quite logical that the alpine edelweiss flower prefers well-lit sunny places. The plant is drought-resistant, moreover, it absolutely does not tolerate waterlogging and stagnant water inground. For edelweiss, light, well-drained soils are best.
When planting a plant, it is advisable to add leafy soil, coarse sand or crushed stone. This will help create conditions as close as possible to those in which it grows in its natural environment. Do not use heavy soil, overly nutritious substrates with a high content of organic matter. In combination with high humidity, this will lead to a loss of the plant's decorative effect, including beautiful pubescence, and a strong stretching of the shoots.
Alpine edelweiss: cultivation
The plant belongs to the category of unpretentious. However, to grow it in your garden, you will have to make some effort. At first glance, the flower seems inconspicuous. Indeed, if you plant it in a company with tall perennials, nothing good will come of it. First, he will not have enough light. Secondly, he simply gets lost among them. Edelweiss needs to be emphasized with a suitable environment, highlighted on a hill with stones, create a small group of plants - only then will it attract attention.
As mentioned above, the plant does not like excess moisture. Therefore, it is quite enough natural rainfall. Moreover, if the summer is very rainy, then it should even be covered. Only in hot and dry months, edelweiss needs to be watered additionally. The second important component of plant care is weeding, loosening (very superficial, so as not to damage the roots).
Young alpine edelweiss, 1-2 years old, needs light shelter for the winter. Can be usedfallen leaves or branches of conifers. In the spring, the shelter should be removed as early as possible so that the shoots do not rot. The plant develops well on soils rich in lime. Therefore, do not forget to periodically feed it with all the necessary trace elements during the active growing season.
Methods of plant propagation
Edelweiss can be propagated in two well-known ways: vegetative and seed. And each has its own advantages. During seed propagation, the original characteristics of the plant are lost, that is, those that it possessed in its natural habitat. This leads to the fact that the appearance of the flower is very different depending on the place of cultivation. Therefore, in order to preserve the characteristics of the variety, use the vegetative method. It is quite simple and clear.
Vegetatively alpine edelweiss is propagated in spring or autumn by cuttings or division of the mother bush. In autumn, an adult specimen consists of several annual rosettes, which are very tightly intertwined with roots and are essentially independent plants. They are carefully separated and seated in a new place. Blooming young edelweiss will be the next summer after wintering. Tops of shoots are suitable for cuttings, but not too old. They easily take root in spring (May-June), and bloom the next summer.
Alpine Edelweiss: we grow a flower from seeds
In order to grow a flower, you need to goto the store and buy a bag of seeds. Sowing is carried out in February-March in light nutrient soil. The container with crops is covered with glass to preserve moisture and heat and placed in a shaded place. The seed germination temperature is 13-15 °C, the first shoots can be observed in 2-3 weeks. After there are more of them, the shelter is removed and the container is transferred to a bright place. Seedlings grow rather slowly. The main thing during this period is not to flood them. Plants that have reached a height of 2 cm are planted in separate pots.
