Night of the Stars | The Alpine Star

When you think of the Dolomites, your mind goes to its most delicate symbol: the Alpine Star . A mountain flower that grows at high altitude, among the bare and rugged rocks, inserted between the protected species of ours Dolomites .

A flower, a legend, a symbol of the mountain : the Edelweiss is found almost everywhere in Trentino: painted on the walls of mountain houses, carved in wood, even as a symbol of associations and parties. Let's discover it together.

Edelweiss, a tenacious flower

There are about thirty species of Alpine stars in nature, also known as Leontopodium alpinum or Edelweiss .

Its stem is rather short, while the flower (which is not a flower) has the characteristic shape of a star, covered by a sort of fluff. What we think is the inflorescence is actually just a set of leaflets bleached white by the patina that covers them.

A curiosity: the hairs are not used to protect against the cold, in reality they have the function of opposing the loss of water. The Edelweiss in fact lives arid and windy places .

Where do Alpine Stars grow?

The Edelweiss is the most famous flower of our Dolomites, but it is widespread throughout the Eurasian continent , from the Trans-Siberian steppes, to Japan, to the Himalayas, up to our western latitudes of Europe.

Its characteristics allow it to reach high altitudes up to 6,000 meters . In Adamello Brenta Natural Park you can find it in high-altitude meadows and on rugged cliffs.

Remember not to pick the Edelweiss or any other flower: there are many protected species that must be respected and left in nature.

The legend

You should know that according to a legend, on a cold night, a little star chose to abandon the sky
to keep company with a lonely peak.

To thank her, the high peak decided to give the edelweiss a downy veil as a gift, with which the little flower could protect itself from the cold.

One of the most beautiful flowers of our mountains is born here.

Did you know this legend about the Dolomites?