A keen gardener in Prestatyn has grown a rare flower native to mountainous regions as far away as Mongolia.
Stuart Prince, whose main passion is aviation photography (which has sent him to North Korea), decided to grow Edelweiss flowers after a trip to Switzerland, where he was inspired by the airline of the same name.
“I have travelled many times to Switzerland, and one of the airlines I photographed was Edelweiss, which led me to look into the history of the flower and its association with Switzerland,” said Mr Prince.
Edelweiss belongs to the daisy/sunflower Asteraceae family, and prefers high altitude between 5,900-9,800 ft.
It is a scarce, short-lived flower found in remote mountain areas and has been used as a symbol for alpinism, for rugged beauty and purity associated with the Alps and Carpathians, making its growth in Prestatyn all the more unique.
It is also a national symbol of Romania, Austria, Bulgaria, Mongolia, Slovenia, Switzerland and Italy, and has previously been used in traditional medicine as a remedy against abdominal and respiratory disease.
Mr Prince confesses to having never known of the flower before his Switzerland trip, adding: “I had never seen an Edelweiss before so I just purchased some seeds online – I am amazed how they have grown!”
According to folk tradition, giving this flower to a loved one is a promise of dedication.
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