German Army Mountain Troops Edelweiss Sleeve Patch

Post-1940 pattern sleeve insignia features a vertically oval, green-wool base with a machine embroidered edelweiss flower with thirteen, irregular, white petals, an eight bulb, yellow stamen and dual green leaves and stem in rayon threads. The edelweiss is encompassed with a simulated, silver/grey, mountaineer rope border, with a white piton to the top center.

Leontopodium nivale, commonly called edelweiss (German: Alpen-Edelweiß), is a mountain flower belonging to the daisy or sunflower family Asteraceae. The plant prefers rocky limestone places at about 1,800–3,400 metres (5,900–11,200 ft) altitude. It is non-toxic and has been used in traditional medicine as a remedy against abdominal and respiratory diseases. Its leaves and flowers are covered with dense hairs, which appear to protect the plant from cold, aridity, and ultraviolet radiation. 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. It is a national symbol of several countries, specifically Bulgaria[citation needed], Austria, Slovenia, Switzerland, and Italy. In Romania it was declared a “monument of nature” in 1931. The Edelweiss day is celebrated on 5 March. According to folk tradition, giving this flower to a loved one is a promise of dedication.