The natural home of the Edelweiss is high up in the Alpine mountains, sometimes reaching altitudes of nearly 10,000 feet. At those heights, it’s chilly most of the year and the winters are incredibly harsh. Any plant that manages to survive up there has to be a total tough guy when it comes to freezing temperatures—and the Edelweiss definitely fits the bill.
Edelweiss in the Winter
Because it’s so naturally hardy, you usually don’t need to do much to help it through the winter. In the fall, the perennial will finish blooming and retreat back into its underground rhizome to wait out the cold. You don’t even have to cut back the dry stems if you don’t want to; they actually act as a bit of natural insulation. If you’re expecting a “black frost” (those super deep freezes without any snow cover), you can toss a few evergreen branches or some brush over it for extra protection. The most important thing, though, is making sure your Edelweiss is in well-draining soil. It needs rain and meltwater to flow away freely—Edelweiss absolutely hates “wet feet” or standing water.
Protecting Potted Edelweiss from Frost
While Edelweiss looks amazing in rock gardens or dry meadows, it also does great in pots and containers on your patio or balcony. However, plants in pots need a little more TLC during the winter than those in the ground. You’ll want to wrap the containers up warm and move them to a sheltered spot, like against a house wall or under an eave. Here are a few great ways to insulate them:
- Wrap the pot in bubble wrap to keep the heat in.
- Use a thick garden fleece or burlap for the same effect.
- Elevate the pot on a block of wood or styrofoam so the root ball doesn’t freeze through from the cold ground.
- Cover the top of the plant lightly with evergreen boughs or twigs.
You don’t need to wrap the surface of the soil tightly; a loose covering of brush is plenty. Avoid using plastic wrap on top, as it traps moisture and can cause your Edelweiss to rot. If you have the space in your garden, you can even sink the entire pot into the ground and cover it with brush for the winter!
