Perennials of the Swiss Alps
Selecting one of the hundreds of unique perennials in the Alpine areas of Switzerland for this issue of the CVRS newsletter, could have been extremely challenging for me had it not been for the rare sighting of Edelweiss, Leontopodium alpine, I experienced while visiting the alpine regions of the alps.
Edelweiss and Gentian are two of the Alps' most iconic flowers. They have become symbols of the Swiss Alps, but spotting them in the wild is ‘hit and miss’ for hikers and therefore very special when it happens.
Leontopodium alpinum Edelweiss
High up,where the air becomes thinner and only a few plants can withstand the harsh climate, grows a flower that has fascinated people for centuries: the edelweiss.
Delicate in appearance, yet incredibly resilient, it has become a symbol of courage, bravery, love, and purity. Numerous myths and legends surround this fascinating mountain flower. The name can be broken down into two German words: edel, meaning ‘noble’, and weiss, meaning ‘white’. To this day, this plant is considered very special and rare.
Photo: Glenda MacPhee
In the Kandersteg area, edelweiss are part of a fragile alpine ecosystem where they are protected. My sister and I were told that was unlikely that we would see one growing in the wild. Spotting one is considered special because it usually grows in remote, hard-to-reach alpine zones.
Imagine our exhilaration when we discovered one edelweiss along the hiking trail around Mattmarksee, Switzerland. Searching carefully, we spotted two more; admired the three plants, photographed them, and of course, left them for others’ to excitedly discover, as had we.
Leontopodium alpinum at Mattmarksee, a high altitude reservoir in Switzerland.
Leontopodium alpinum is technically not a single flower but more than 50 to 500 tiny florets clustered in 2 to 12 yellow flower heads (capitula), surrounded by 5 to 15 velvety white leaves (bracts) arranged in the shape of a star.
Markmattsee Reservoir where we spotted the edelweiss.
Edelweiss grows on barren, stony subsoils as well as in nutrient-poor meadows, in high-altitude rocky areas where conditions are harsh, thin air, strong winds, and cold temperatures, making it far rarer than one might expect.
Despite its soft, star-shaped appearance, edelweiss is incredibly tough. It has tiny woolly hairs that help protect it from frost and intense UV light.
Markmattsee, Switzerland is a rugged area with melting glaciers and rushing rivers.