Closed Gentian (gentiana andrewsii)

13 years ago

We have had a single closed gentian plant along the side of one of the trails through our wooded property for the past 16 years. It has bloomed only a few of those years. This year, several new plants have come up (I assume seeds sown long ago have finally germinated). This is the only gentian I have seen in this area.

My questions:
1. Is there anything I can do to the current environment of the plants to encourage growth and blooming. It is in a moderately moist location and deep in leaf litter on top of a sandy/rocky subsurface.
2. One of the new plants is actually in the trail and likely to be stepped on by dogs or people. I know that gentians are difficult to transplant, but I would really like to move this particular plant to a newly-established native plant garden near the house. Any recommendations?

Thanks for your help

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Comments (5)

lycopus
13 years ago
Haven't grown it myself but I see them often in the wild. They are always in very wet locations, like along streams or the edges of ponds and lakes. I've also seen them in beaver meadows. They seem to like a lot of sun.
Lynda Waldrep
13 years ago
Yes to the sun exposure. They occur naturally along an unused driveway in the mt., where there is plenty of rain but also full sun. I have moved some successfully, but most died. I am also trying to grow from seed, although right now I don't know if the seedlings will survive ... don't seem to have a magic "touch" for transplanting!

Cullina says to keep them watered for the first season after transplanting.
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Thanks, Esh, for verifying that it is a gentiana. I tried to get a better photo but it was close to dark. I got the one below and will try for the leaves tomorrow. I've been studying photos and reading, but some of what I find is contradictory (link below). Or I'm just fuddled. Whatever it is, it isn't G. clausa or andrewsii. http://forums.gardenweb.com/forums/load/natives/msg0912574128833.html Here is a link that might be useful: photo of G.Gentiana saponaria that looks different
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All my winter sowing was stunted this year and I wasn't able to use hardly any of it. I don't know what the trouble was and it wasn't late start b/c I put mine out the first of February. The beebalm and other perennials I started by wintersowing are still only 1 and a half inches in height. I'm going to just put them in a protected area for over the fall and winter and see if any return next spring. This was my final year for winter sowing. I've never had a good return and this year I did both winter sowing and then also did seed-starts inside the house and the indoor seed-starts were 5x+ larger than the winter sown stuff after only a month. I sowed Bottle Gentian right into the ground but that was this spring so most of the seed will likely lay dormant until next spring because it hasn't been cold stratified yet. I would take a spatula and put your little seedlings right into the ground now and see how much they can get established before winter sets in. Using a spatula and taking up large pieces of your flat of gentian will be the least stressful to the already stressed plants. Really loosen up the soil where you are going to lay the plants and then give the soil a good watering before you lay down the spatulas of seedlings/soil. Wait a day and then water them lightly as needed.
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mosswitch
13 years ago
I have had one in my yard for about 15 years. It comes up every year, blooms well, but I have never seen a seedling from it. Not sure how you would get it to reseed. It never gets any bigger, or spreads, either, but it is a nice-size plant.

Sandy
JinMe
Original Author
13 years ago
Thanks for input. I wasn't sure about sun requirements, so a sunny place it is for my trial transplant.

Sandy, is your plant in a very wet place?

My plants are very small, I wouldn't call them well-established at all. I read that the seeds can take years to germinate, so I like to think my plants are a result of a long-ago bear poop in our woods!
mosswitch
13 years ago
My plant is in a pretty dry garden in semi-shade. Which may be the reason it isn't increasing much. It probably needs more water, which is not a problem this year, lol! But we put drip irrigation in that bed this summer so it will have more water in the future.

Sandy

Closed Gentian (gentiana andrewsii)

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lycopus

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Closed Gentian (gentiana andrewsii)

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