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Common Name: Edelweiss

General Information

Leontopodium alpinum is a perennial plant that can grow up to 0.20 metres tall.
It is harvested from the wild for local use as a medicine..

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

Range

SE and SC Europe.

Habitat

Alpine meadows and screes.

Properties

Medicinal Rating
Habit	Perennial
Height	0.20 m
Cultivation Status	Wild

Cultivation Details

Requires a position in full sun in any gritty perfectly drained not too fertile circumneutral or slightly alkaline soil[]. Given a well-drained soil and protection from winter wet, this is one of the easier alpine plants to grow[].
The plant has been avidly collected from the wild in the past for its ornamental use as a dried flower - this has caused it to become rare in the wild and it is now a protected species[].

Edible Uses

None known

Medicinal

The whole plant is astringent and antitussive[].

Other Uses

None known

Propagation

Seed - best sown as soon as it is ripe in the cold greenhouse. When they are large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and grow them on in the greenhouse for their first winter. Plant them out into their permanent positions in late spring or early summer, after the last expected frosts.
Division.