Here's a vintage botanical illustration of the flower and herb Edelweiss, an enduring symbol of love in Austria, Germany and other parts of Europe. It grows high on mountain slopes, such as the Alps, and prefers limestone rock. A modest, small plant reaching only about eight inches height, with woolly petals and leaves, it has a short growing season, only a couple of months at most, before the snows of winter come. Edelweiss has been used for centuries to treat respiratory problems, diarrhea and other intestinal ailments, and heart disease. It was the official flower of mountaineers and alpinists and also much beloved by Emperor Franz Josef and his wife Empress Elisabeth, starting an edelweiss craze. Finally the flower came under state protection and is no longer endangered.