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Gentianaceae
Japanese Gentian
Gentiana scabra
Justice, victory, and intrinsic worth.
- Family
- Gentianaceae
- Genus
- Gentiana
- Native to
- Japan, China, Korea, Russia
- Bloom season
- Late Summer, Fall
- Type
- herbaceous perennial
- Height
- 20–40 cm
- Sunlight
- full sun to part shade
- Soil
- moist, well-drained, slightly acidic
- Water
- medium to high
- Hardiness
- 4–8
- Lifespan
- perennial
Did you know
- Japanese gentian is one of the most popular autumn cut flowers in Japan, rivaling chrysanthemums for seasonal displays.
- The intense blue color comes from a rare pigment called gentiodelphin, one of the bluest natural anthocyanins known.
- In traditional Kampo medicine, the bitter root extract is used as a digestive tonic and liver remedy.
- The Minamoto clan of medieval Japan used the gentian as their family crest (mon), symbolizing victory.
- Unlike many gentians that are difficult to cultivate, Japanese gentian has been successfully bred into dozens of florist cultivars.
Color meanings
Blue
righteous determination
Purple
noble victory
White
sincerity