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Gentianaceae
Gentian
Gentiana acaulis
Intrinsic worth, loveliness, sweet sadness.
- Family
- Gentianaceae
- Genus
- Gentiana
- Native to
- European mountains
- Bloom season
- Spring, Summer
- Type
- Mat-forming perennial
- Height
- 5–10 cm
- Sunlight
- Full sun to part shade
- Soil
- Acidic, sharply drained, rich
- Water
- Moderate
- Hardiness
- 3–7
- Lifespan
- Long-lived perennial
Did you know
- Gentian blue is one of the deepest, purest blues found anywhere in the plant world — a saturated cobalt-violet with almost no other color mixed in.
- The genus is named after King Gentius of Illyria, who according to ancient legend discovered the medicinal properties of gentian roots in the 2nd century BCE.
- Gentian root is one of the most bitter substances in nature and is the foundational ingredient in classic European bitters like Angostura, Aperol, and Suze.
- Many alpine gentian species bloom in midsummer at altitudes over 8,000 feet (2,400 m), among the few flowers that thrive that high.
- It's the floral emblem of several European Alpine regions, including Bavaria and Tyrol, where gentian-blue is considered a symbol of the mountains themselves.
Color meanings
Blue
Mountain truth