Spring Gentian

Other Names: Trumpet Gentian

Ornamental Features:

Spring Gentian has blue trumpet-shaped flowers with navy blue throats at the ends of the stems from mid to late spring, which are interesting on close inspection. It's narrow leaves remain forest green in colour throughout the season. The fruit is not ornamentally significant.

Landscape Attributes:

Spring Gentian is a dense herbaceous perennial with a mounded form. Its relatively fine texture sets it apart from other garden plants with less refined foliage.

This is a high maintenance perennial that will require regular care and upkeep, and usually looks its best without pruning, although it will tolerate pruning. Deer don't particularly care for this plant and will usually leave it alone in favor of tastier treats. It has no significant negative characteristics.

Spring Gentian is recommended for the following landscape applications;

• Rock/Alpine Gardens
• Border Edging
• General Garden Use
• Container Planting
• Naturalizing And Woodland Gardens

Plant Characteristics:

Spring Gentian will grow to be only 4 inches tall at maturity, with a spread of 12 inches. Its foliage tends to remain low and dense right to the ground. It grows at a slow rate, and under ideal conditions can be expected to live for approximately 15 years.

This perennial should be grown in a location that is shaded from the hot afternoon sun. It does best in average to evenly moist conditions, but will not tolerate standing water. It is very fussy about its soil conditions and must have rich, acidic soils to ensure success, and is subject to chlorosis (yellowing) of the leaves in alkaline soils. It is quite intolerant of urban pollution, therefore inner city or urban streetside plantings are best avoided, and will benefit from being planted in a relatively sheltered location. Consider applying a thick mulch around the root zone over the growing season to conserve soil moisture. This plant can be propagated by seed.

This species is not originally from North America.