How to Grow and Care for Edelweiss Flower

Edelweiss is famous for its lance-shaped, wooly foliage and white, star-shaped flowers. Although the plant is commonly associated with the European Alps—to which the song “Edelweiss” from the musical The Sound of Music contributed a great deal—it is native to the Himalayas and Siberia. These little flowers are naturally found growing in many Alpine countries at high altitudes. Edelweiss
is a tough plant that is accustomed to harsh environments: rocky, poor soil, cold temperatures, and high winds. It grows slowly and will begin flowering in its second year. It makes an excellent addition to a rock garden.

Plant edelweiss in the early spring to give it the entire growing season to get established.

Edelweiss Care

Edelweiss flowers are a breeze to care for. Here are the main care requirements for growing edelweiss:

• Plant it in a location with full sun or dappled shade.
• Make sure the soil is well-draining. Rocky, limestone soil is ideal.
• Avoid planting edelweiss in a hot, humid climate.
• Water only during the first year until the plant is established.
• Don’t fertilize; edelweiss grows better in poor soil.

Light

These wooly flowers do best in full sun. To mimic the native conditions in which they grow naturally, they can be grown underneath taller plants to benefit from a measure of protection from the elements and to receive dappled sunshine.

Soil

Well-draining soil is key to keeping edelweiss plants healthy, and they do well with typical rock garden soil. These plants prefer nearly neutral pH levels, between 6.5 and 7.5. When it comes to soil composition, a mix of compost, sand, grit, and peat moss is best for growing edelweiss flowers. These flowers also grow well in rocky, limestone soils.

Water

Edelweiss flowers do not require additional water once established. These fuzzy plants are naturally found in harsh, arid conditions. They cannot tolerate soggy soil and do better with underwatering rather than overwatering. During the first year of growth, water when the soil feels dry.

Temperature and Humidity

Edelweiss plants are built to withstand the low temperature, high winds, and harsh climate of high altitudes. Wooly leaves help protect the plant from wind and rain. In fact, these flowers require cold temperatures to thrive and are grown in USDA hardiness zones 4 to 7. They do not grow well in hot, humid climates.

Fertilizer

Because these plants are found in the poor, rocky soils of high altitudes, edelweiss rarely requires fertilizer and often does better without it.

Pruning

Edelweiss does not need any pruning. In optimum growing conditions, edelweiss will reseed; if you don't want that to happen, remove the spent flowers after the bloom.

Propagating Edelweiss

Propagation is primarily done through division. This is best to do every few years, as edelweiss has a short life span. Division will keep edelweiss growing for years to come. To divide edelweiss, you will need a small shovel, a sharp pair of garden snips, and gloves:

1. In the spring, gently dig around the edelweiss to loosen its fibrous root system.
2. Once the roots are easy to lift out of the ground, remove the plant.
3. Using the shovel and the snips, cut through the root system to divide the plant. Be sure each division has healthy roots and healthy foliage.
4. Plant each division in a sunny area with well-draining soil.

How to Grow Edelweiss From Seed

Starting edelweiss from seed is very easy. If the seeds are started outdoors, sow them before the last frost in the spring to allow the seeds to go through a natural cold stratification. For seeds started indoors, place the seeds in soil inside a black plastic bag and place them in the refrigerator for three weeks. Then, follow these instructions:

1. Gently sow the seeds on the surface of well-draining soil.
2. Mist them gently.
3. Keep the seeds in a cool environment. Germination should occur in about two to six weeks.
4. When seedlings appear, place them in a sunny location.
5. When they are large enough to handle, harden them off. Move them to the garden once they are acclimated to full sun.

Potting and Repotting Edelweiss

These hardy plants grow very well in containers if they receive plenty of light and have very well-draining soil. The pot must have drainage holes that allow water to drain freely. Because edelweiss stays quite small and is a slow grower, repotting is not often needed. When edelweiss outgrows its container, gently loosen the roots from the container until they slide out. Place the plant into a slightly larger container and cover the roots with well-draining soil.

Overwintering

Edelweiss flowers are built for harsh environments and do not require much attention to survive a cold winter. They enjoy having a thick blanket of snow to protect them. Simply refrain from watering these plants and let the snow do the rest. If you don't expect a lot of snow during the winter months, add a layer of mulch around the plant in the late fall to mimic the insulating protection of snow. When spring arrives, move aside the mulch to allow new growth to appear.

Common Pests & Plant Diseases

Edelweiss is a very hardy plant that does not struggle with many pests, diseases, or problems.They are deer-resistant.

Crown rot is a common ailment of Edelweiss. It is caused by soil-borne fungi and occurs in overly moist, heavy soils with poor drainage. The crown of the plant might appear rotted or discolored and the foliage will begin to wilt. Remove a plant showing signs of advanced crown rot to prevent the disease from spreading to the surrounding plants. As a preventive measure, remove any fallen foliage from around the plant. Amend the soil with organic matter (compost, aged manure, or shredded) and/or add ½- to 1-inch gravel to improve drainage.

To prevent crown rot, only plant edelweiss in well-draining soil and water plants early in the day to allow adequate time for the foliage to dry.

How to Get Edelweiss to Bloom

Bloom Months

Edelweiss mostly blooms in June and July but sometimes already blooms in May and then again in late summer, up until September.

How Long Does Edelweiss Bloom?

Individual flowers don’t last very long but edelweiss blooms intermittently from late spring to late summer.

What Do Edelweiss Flowers Look and Smell Like?

Edelweiss flowers are white and fuzzy with a pale yellow center. What looks like star-shaped wooly petals are actually bracts with a greenish underside. It has a sweet smell with a note of hyacinth but it is not nearly as strongly scented.

How to Encourage More Blooms

The right growing conditions—namely plenty of sun and well-draining soil—are crucial for edelweiss to bloom. Fertilizing the plant does not produce more flowers, on the contrary, edelweiss does better in poor soil.

Caring for Edelweiss After It Blooms

There is nothing you need to do for edelweiss after it blooms. Deadheading won’t extend the bloom.

Recommended Companion Plants

• Gentiana acaulis:Commonly called trumpet Genetian, this blue flower is native to the mountainous regions of central Europe. Its blue color makes it a wonderful choice to highlight the white of the edelweisse.
  
• Thymus serpyllum: The low green habit of creeping thyme makes this a perfect companion plant for edelweiss because it will accentuate its height and color.
  
• Juniperus squamata 'Blue Star': Like creeping thyme, it provides a low-growing alternative that perfectly highlights edelweiss. Unlike creeping thyme, 'Blue Star' Juniper has a blue-green color that will give a different experience when viewing the white of the edelweiss.
• Calluna vulgaris: Common heather provides a great color combination with edelweiss. It has a slightly larger size that can create an interesting textural effect when planted in large swatches beside the smaller white edelweiss.
• Campanula poscharskyana: The Serbian bellflower is a low-growing mounding flower native to the mountainous regions of Europe that provides a stunning contrast with its bright blue flowers.
• Scilla cretica:Cretan glory-of-the-snow is another alpine flower that makes a nice companion. In North America, it grows as an ephemeral and will bloom between more abundant edelweiss plants, giving punches of light blue color.
• Myosotis sylvatica: Forgot-me-nots are wonderful plants native to mountainous regions. They can be great companion plants for edelweiss if you do not allow them to overgrow the smaller, more delicate edelweiss.

• Can edelweiss grow in the United States?

  Although edelweiss is known as a perennial from high in the Alps, this hardy flower is suitable to be grown in USDA hardiness zones 4 to 7. They make wonderful additions to rock gardens, adding a rugged, wild feel to your backyard.

• Why is edelweiss so rare?

  In the wild, edelweiss has become rare because the plant naturally grows at altitudes of 6,000 and 11,000 feet, often in remote, inaccessible areas of the Alps on rocky limestone soil. It is considered an endangered species.

• Is edelweiss invasive?

  Although it self-seeds if the conditions are right, the plant is not invasive.

From: thespruce