All flowers
Green Gentian Wikimedia Commons
Gentianaceae

Green Gentian

Frasera speciosa

Patience rewarded.

Family
Gentianaceae
Genus
Frasera
Native to
Western North America
Bloom season
Summer
Type
perennial herb
Height
3-6 ft
Sunlight
full sun to part shade
Soil
well-drained, rocky
Water
low
Hardiness
3-8
Lifespan
perennial

Did you know

  • Green gentian is monocarpic -- it grows as a rosette for 20 to 80 years before flowering once and dying.
  • The tall flower stalk can produce hundreds of greenish-white flowers with purple speckling.
  • It was named after John Fraser, a Scottish botanist who collected plants in North America.
  • Native Americans used the roots medicinally as a bitter tonic and to treat stomach ailments.
  • Populations tend to bloom synchronously, with mass flowering events occurring on multi-year cycles.

Color meanings

0

endurance

1

rare blooming

Uses

  • native garden
  • medicinal
  • wildlife habitat