Romania · #1 flower Symbol of the Romanian Carpathians and one of the first protected species in Romania
Edelweiss
Leontopodium nivale subsp. alpinum · locally: floare-de-colț
“Flower of the sharp rock” – that is what Romanians call edelweiss, a symbol of the Carpathians protected by law since 1933.
A small perennial 5–20 cm tall, entirely covered in dense, white, woolly hairs that protect it from intense sunlight, wind and water loss. What looks like a single flower is in fact an inflorescence: several tiny, yellowish flower heads surrounded by a star of white, felty bracts. It grows on limestone rocks, ledges and grassland, usually above 1,700 m. Picking by tourists has made it rare, and it is strictly protected in many countries.
Significance in the country
Edelweiss was one of the first plants in Romania to be given legal protection as a natural monument (1933). Its Romanian name – “floare-de-colț”, the flower of the sharp rock – reflects its hard-to-reach habitats, and its image is a popular motif on souvenirs and mountain emblems throughout the country.
Where it grows
On the limestone peaks of the Carpathians – the best-known sites are in the Bucegi and Piatra Craiului massifs, the Rodna Mountains, on Ceahlău and Rarău, and in the Retezat.
More: Wikipedia (en) Wikipedia (pl)