The "Cloud Flowers" are always in demand.

The ever increasing popularity of the small alpine gem resulted in its featuring center stage in folkloristic verse, music and story. Later, the motion picture industry used the themes of love, danger and tragedy in alpine settings on numerous occasions, making the Rodgers and Hammerstein song "Edelweiss" famous in the 5 Academy Awards winning blockbuster movie of 1965: "The Sound of Music".

Some myths to clear up:

Edelweiss plants do not produce snowy white blossoms, as the lyrics to the song "Edelweiss" suggest; like snow flakes though, not two are alike. The showy, hair covered rosettes aren't flower petals but modified leaves, silvery white in color with a tinge of green. The actual flower centers are golden yellow from pollen dust which is only a fleeting feature.

The future looks bright for Edelweiß.

Knowledge and fame of this "Botanical Star" have spread throughout the world and wherever an image of exclusivity, purity, lasting love and/or rugged mountain splendor needed to be portrayed, folks have used the Edelweiss.                                                                               
Renderings of Edelweiß are found on many alpine postcards, souvenirs and apparel, often in combination with blue Gentian and red               Alpenrose/Almrausch.                                                                       
Dried genuine Edelweiss blossoms have been made in to wares for generations and provide income for small growers and manufacturers.

Good for the Soul and the Body too.

Traditionally, Edelweiss teas and infusions of the herb in hot milk sweetened with honey were used in the curing of diarrhea and dysentery. It also proved beneficial in combating   ailments like tuberculosis and diphtheria.
                     
Documented, remedial benefits of Edelweiss have more recently been augmented by new pharmaceutical research, and novel applications in the cosmetics, hair care and skincare industry. This  ensures a strong demand in the future for the valuable extract made out of this plant.

Edelweiss-Extract is now added to some high end skincare products because Edelweiss's natural compounds have the ability to neutralize free radicals, and are preventing amplification of those super oxides involved in the aging processes of skin.

UV light absorbing substances in this high altitude plant, make the extracts derived from Edelweiss an ideal  additive in sun blocks, also the Edelweiss plants content of bio-flavonoids, enables preparations to strengthen the walls of blood vessels which is useful in the treatment of some vascular problems.

All this will ensure a strong demand for Edelweiss products in the future.