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Characteristics of Javanese Edelweiss Tree (Anaphalis javanica) in the Wild

Published by: Admin on July 15, 2020
Categorized in: Flower Tree

Javanese edelweiss is an endemic flowering plant species in the highlands of Indonesia. Edelweiss trees grow mostly in the mountainous regions of Java, Sumatra, Sulawesi, and Lombok. Although adult Edelweiss trees can reach 8 meters in height, most species are less than 2 meters high.

Edelweiss flowers bloom in April and August. Javan whistling thrush bird (Myophonus glaucinus) species often use branches of the edelweiss tree for nesting.

MYTH JAVANESE EDELWEISS FLOWER
Known as the “Eternal Flower” in Indonesian, it literally means the everlasting flower and indeed prove to be real. When edelweiss flower are picked from the tree, they will not wither or rot as long as they are stored in a dry place. The durability of this flower reaches 7-15 years, depending on how to store it.

In the past, edelweiss flowers were sold as souvenirs. But now it has been banned because trees are threatened with extinction in the habitat due to uncontrolled flower cutting by local residents.

Javanese edelweiss species continue to decrease in number and are now in protected status, especially those in the Mount Gede Pangrango National Park, West Java, which is one of the original habitats of Javanese edelweiss.

Unlike the case in the Bromo Tengger Semeru National Park, East Java, their javanese edelweiss has been declared extinct.

Greed has sacrificed much of the edelweiss population, especially the population located on the mountain paths.

Research that has been done shows that edelweiss trees can be propagated by cutting their branches (cuttings). But unfortunately, this tree can only grow in areas with elevations above 2,000 m above sea level. It also cannot live in arid areas and normal land.

Characteristics of Javanese Edelweiss Leaves and Flowers

Anaphalis javanica Leaf — Source : criseyrton.tumblr.com

Anaphalis javanica Flower — Source : flickr.com/Zazat Zenal mutakin

Javanese edelweiss flowers appear between April and August. The flower is very well-liked by insects, more than 300 kinds of insects such as lice, fins, butterflies, flies, wasps, and bees are seen swarming on their flowers when they bloom.

Characteristics of Javanese Edelweiss Tree

Anaphalis javanica Tree — Source : jimzzz.wordpress.com

Javanese edelweiss tree is a pioneer plant for volcanic soils in the mountains because it is able to maintain its survival on barren land. Edelweiss is also able to form mycorrhizae with certain soil fungi that effectively expand the area reached by its roots and increase efficiency in finding nutrients.

The best places to see Javanese edelweis are in Tegal Alun (Mount Papandayan), Surya Kencana (Mount Gede), Mandalawangi (Mount Pangrango), and Plawangan Sembalun (Mount Rinjani). To see the flowers bloom, don’t forget to match the date and month on your calendar.