Leontopodium alpinum subsp. nivale – Leontopodium nivale – Edelweiss –

Description

Leontopodium – Edelweiss – There are about 35 species of short lived perennial in this genus. They occur in grassland and stony habitats in the mountains of Europe and Asia. They have simple, lance shaped, smooth edged, hairy, mainly basal leaves. Upright stems carry compact, terminal cymes of small flow3eer heads consisting only of cream disk florets, surrounded by overlapping, pointed, leaf like, usually white felted bracts. Most species are suitable for a rock garden, raised bed. Grow in sharply drained, neutral to alkaline soil in full sun. Protect from excessive winter moisture. Divide in early spring. Prone to slugs and snails.  L. alpinum alpinum subsp. nivale –  Leontopodium nivale – This clump forming perennial grows 6″ tall and wide. It produces densely white hairy linear to -oblong-lance shaped, gray green, basal leaves, to 1 – 1 1/2″ long. In spring or early summer it bears conspicuous heads of woolly, pure white flowers surrounded by star of flannel-textured, gray-white bracts, 1 1/4-4″ across on short stems. Zones 4-6