Flower symbolism makes an important part of every culture and tradition and that is why people transfer it from generation to generation. If we take a closer look, we will notice flowers all around us – in physical form or represented through clothing and various objection, on national flags, and in works of many artists.
Flower symbolism narrates a story about the history of ancient people, their cultures, and customs, which are highly valuable information.
Some people find it much easier to express their emotions through flowers than to speak about them openly. Flowers show the depth of our emotions and make the other person think more about it.
However, sometimes you would want to keep something a secret so that only you and a receiver know the message.
Flowers are the best postmen when it comes to secret symbols and secret messages. The color, the shape, the scent of each flower additionally helps us empathize the power of the message we are sending to another person so be careful when picking.
Further, many flowers are believed to have healing abilities which make them not only beautiful and special but valuable to all humankind.
We will talk about the Edelweiss flower today and its meaning, symbolism, color, and hidden messages it sends of. Edelweiss flower is definitely one of the eye-catching flowers and deserves special attention. This flower was firstly available to some parts of the world only, but the time has come for the whole world to see its full glory.
What is the Meaning of the Edelweiss Flower?
Just like every other flower, the Edelweiss flower has its own symbolic and carries significant value. The meaning of the Edelweiss flower is different when we talk about different cultures as they influenced history differently.
The main meanings of the Edelweiss flower are:
• Adventure,
• Notoriety.
Edelweiss somehow logically represents adventure as it has such a specific appearance. It tells us to enjoy life and be who we truly are – adventurists. Edelweiss flower became stronger with the time and withstood many challenges through its existence thanks to this trait is possesses.
Still, as we all know, people who have adventurous spirit are sometimes considered notorious. Edelweiss flower means notoriety in some aspects, which is the epithet only some cultures assigned to it. One more reason why the Edelweiss is considered to be notorious is the fact that not everybody is able to obtain it so the ones that have never touched it are somehow afraid of this beautiful flower.
The Etymological Meaning of the Edelweiss Flower
Edelweiss flower comes from the family of daisies and sunflowers. It got its name after a mountain flower – Leontopodium alpinum. This mountain flower actually inspired people to name the other flower Edelweiss as the first one grows on heights about 3000 meters. Edelweiss might remind you of German language and you won’t be wrong if it is so, as it is a compound of two German words. The first word is edel – noble, while other is weiss and means white color.
Even though this flower has a couple of other names, the Edelweiss is the most common one. Another reason why it is called like this is the Edelweiss flower’s appearance. White hairs cover the Edelweiss flower and give it a silvery and whitish shine.
The Symbolism of the Edelweiss Flower
In the 19th century, the Edelweiss flower was a highly respected flower among the people who lived in the Alps and around that region and it was a symbol of purity. Berthold Auerbach wrote a novel and gave it a name after the Edelweiss flower. Auerbach admired the Edelweiss flower and explained how difficult it is to approach to it as this flower grows on 3000 meters heights.
As we already mentioned different cultures and nations gave the Edelweiss flower various symbols, this flower has other symbolic among the Swiss. The highest ranked officers in the Swiss army are honored with the badge shaped just as the Edelweiss flower. The movie Asterix in Switzerland also mentions the Edelweiss flower.
Edelweiss flower is related to the Second World War. What is more, a song called Es War Ein Edelweiss is devoted to it. Austrians appreciated this flower during the war too, same as the Hungarian troop established by Franz Joseph I.
Bulgarian Tourist Union proclaimed the Edelweiss flower their symbol. One more song about this flower is High On a Rocky Ledge and is written by the Moondog band.
Edelweiss Flower – Color and Meaning
Differently from most of the flowers, the Edelweiss flower comes in one color only – white. White color symbolizes purity, clarity, innocence, honesty, faith, hope, and spirituality, but in the case of the Edelweiss flower is stands for completely different traits.
As we already explained, the Edelweiss flower grows in some tough conditions and on the mountains, which means it is not weak or gentle at all, which is the associate to the white color most of the time. Edelweiss flower represents adventure and even carries notorious traits and explains our wildest dreams so you will admit these epithets have nothing to do with the white color.
If you someone special in your life is courageous, unique, ambitious, and successful, the Edelweiss flower might be a perfect gift for that person. This way you will show that person how much you appreciate their strong nature, overwhelming energy, and deep emotions, no matter of their gender. Edelweiss flower will let everyone know how much you respect and value your relationship, as you can gift it to a family member, a friend, or a partner.
Botanical Characteristics of the Edelweiss Flower
Edelweiss flower comes from the family of Asteraceae and it is a perennial herbaceous plant. Its optimal and original habitat is subtropical climate – Mediterranean or moderate continental climate. Edelweiss flower grows best at high temperatures and if it is planted in a bit shady place.
Still, you can find the Edelweiss flower in cold areas also and here it grows as a one-year plant. Edelweiss flower contains stevioside and rebaudioside A in its leaves, next to 6 other glycosides. These make the plant tasteless, but the leaves of the Edelweiss flower are very sweet. Stevia, a sweetener, is made out of the Edelweiss sweet leaves.
There are two types of Edelweiss flower seeds – black and white. Black Edelweiss seeds are of better quality as their germination success goes up to 78%, even though it is harder to grow them than the white ones. Edelweiss flowers are tiny and, as mentioned, come in white color only. What is good, the Edelweiss flower seeds are long lasting so you can store them for the next year. This plant grows in 60-80 cm bushes and its leaves are green and rounded, while the Edelweiss root is branched.
As we already mentioned, the Edelweiss flower likes warm and high temperatures. This means temperatures between 15 and 30 ° are optimal ones for best growth of the Edelweiss flower, while germination move up best in temperatures about 20 ° C. Your Edelweiss flower will for sure stop its growth if the temperatures are 5 ° C or lower, which means this is not a plant for the areas with harsh climate. In optimal conditions, the Edelweiss flower will live for 4 or 5 years, while it lives for one year in lower temperature climates. It is interesting that the Edelweiss flower’s root never freeze during winter, but you still should remove the plant from the soil during the winter months.
Dew affects the Edelweiss flower negatively and might cause drying of the leaves. Make sure to keep excess water away from the Edelweiss flower’s root as it ruptures with time if the root is exposed to too soaked soil. Additionally, the Edelweiss plant doesn’t have big demands when we come about the soil, but if you would like to make it optimal conditions for your flowers go for clay, cheeky, and sandy soil that is well drained and a bit sour. Edelweiss flower dislikes the salty soil.
You should plow the ground on which you want to plant the Edelweiss flowers a month in advance. Plow at a depth of 40 cm and try to lift the beams in order to reduce or prevent water retention around the roots. Just as with the soaked soil, the Edelweiss flower can’t tolerate drought either so that you should install the irrigation system of the drop in order to supply your Edelweiss flowers with enough water.
For good quality of the Edelweiss’s yield, add some organic fertilizer or nitrogen to the ground, especially if the soil is poor and its fertility is low. We already mentioned how hard it is to grow healthy Edelweiss flowers, as its seeds are poor when it comes to germination. Don’t be surprised when you see a high price of the Edelweiss seeds on the market. Pay attention when selecting the seeds and go for black ones rather than the white ones.
An alternative to the Edelweiss flower propagation is using its root cutting. Take roots of some older Edelweiss flowers and plant it in the ground. Even though this process is not always successful, you will get more plants this way.
If you have plans on cultivating the Edelweiss flower, do this indoors (in a greenhouse, for example) and provide a temperature of 24 ° C in there, as your plants will develop greatly in these conditions. Wait for seven to eight weeks before transplanting your Edelweiss flowers outdoors. It would be best to do this sometimes in May, as the chance of a spring frost will disappear by then. Leave some spaces to your plants and plant the Edelweiss flowers about 80 to 100 cm apart. As weed develops highly among the Edelweiss flowers, you can place PE foil on the ground in case you have plans on growing more than a thousand plants.
Edelweiss flowers bloom from late summer to late fall and it is a sign of shortening of the day. Do the harvest right after your plants start blossoming and you will get the best quality of the Edelweiss flower – stevia.
If you have the Edelweiss flower that will grow as a one-year crop (if you live in colder areas), then cut the plant just above the surface of the ground. On the other side, if you are growing multi-year Edelweiss crops, leave about 15 cm of stems. This way your Edelweiss flowers will recover and grow again the next year.
As we mentioned the Edelweiss leaves contain glycoside, you should know that the time of the day affects the level of glycoside within the plant. That is why people do the harvest until 11 o’ clock to get the utmost quality of stevia. An average yield of the Edelweiss flower gives you up to 4500 dry leaves per one hectare. However, these massive leaves will go from 4500 to about 280 kg of dry leaves.
Edelweiss Flower – Fun Facts
Edelweiss flowers grow best if there is some rocky terrain around them.
Edelweiss flowers are believed to slow down the aging and neutralize free radicals in your body. Ethylene hormone within the Edelweiss leaves prevents losing petals, which means it has rejuvenating and strengthening effect. Bio-flavonoids in the Edelweiss flower treats vascular problems effectively.
Edelweiss flowers are an inevitable part of wedding arrangements at German weddings and you can also see them printed on German souvenirs – cards, clothing, badges.
In 1988, there was a threat that the Edelweiss flower would be exterminated as there were only 636 stems of the plant in the world.
Conclusion
The secret message of the Edelweiss flower is to always be courageous and to go for your dreams and goals. Heights are nothing to be afraid of – grab the chances put in front of you.
Edelweiss flower is also a big support for the ones living through difficult condition, as it sends a message that everything will be okay in the end and not to be afraid.
