Podophyllum peltatum, the Mayapple

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For plant collectors, the Podophyllum name sparks instantly the ‘rare plants’ lust. Like with the Arisaema species, unfortunately the North American continent wasn’t left with much: only one Podophyllum species, the Mayapple, Podophyllum peltatum. It is a wonderful wildflower with personality which will slowly form a colony in suitable conditions in the forests/ or woodland garden.

Podophyllum peltatum erupting from the ground in early spring

The genus name comes from the Greek ‘anapodophyllum’ meaning a leaf like the foot (podos) of a duck (anas) and peltatum – refers to the specific attachment of the leaf stalk near the center of the leaf blade.

Mayapples can be found in deciduous forests, both in bottomlands and on drier sites. Large colonies usually develop in places with more moisture. Although they can grow in dry places, underneath the trees, in very dry years, they can go dormant in early fall. Some of its companion plants are: Sanguinaria canadensis, Caulophyllum thalictroides, Trillium grandiflorum, Uvularia grandiflora….

Mayapples emerge in early spring with a couple of tightly closed leaves, which expand umbrella-like afterwards and cover one solitary, white, waxy flower somewhere in May; if pollinaton was successful,  ‘green apples’ will form. Unfortunately, the frequency of successful pollination is not high in Mayapple flowers, even if various pollinators visit the flowers.

Podophyllum peltatum flowers

Podophyllum peltatum fruit

Podophyllum peltatum ripe fruits

Therefore, the fruit set rates are often low for individual colonies of plants, and even more, I have noticed that in years with drought most fruits are aborted. The ripe fruits are the only part of the plant that’s not toxic, and are called “hog apples” or “wild lemons”. They become yellow and fragrant when fully ripe, usually in mid to late August (no idea why the ‘mayapple’ name). They are enjoyed by a variety of small animals, which are also the principal seed dispersers (the Eastern box turtle, gray squirrels, opossum, raccoons…).
So yes, Mayapple’s ripe fruits are edible, and you can even find recipes for jellies.

Medicinal importance

Even if the whole plant, except mature fruits, contains toxic substances, the Mayapple has also been a staple medicinal plant in the repertoire of the Indigenous Peoples, being used as: boiled roots (laxative), juice of the fresh rhizome (to improve hearing), powdered root (skin ulcers and sores, purgative), to mention just the well-known uses.
At some point, the Mayapple resin (extracted from the rhizome) was considered one the most powerful laxatives available, and it was even sold commercially (Carter’s Little Liver Pills in early 1900s), but because of the toxicity, this use has been discontinued.

More recently, pharmaceutical research proved that certain chemical constituents of the Podophyllum species can be used as anticancer agents. The substance responsible is called podophyllin and it is a resin contained in the rhizome (see the use of powder root to treat skin ulcers). This resin is composed of several toxic glycosides, the most active being podophyllotoxin. Derivatives of the podophyllotoxin (etoposide and teniposide) were formulated into anticancer drugs used in chemotherapy to inhibit the growth of tumors in various types of cancer.

 Propagation

Actually, all Podophyllum species are very easy to cultivate – all you need is shade…and seeds or rhizomes cuttings. You can read a detailed account for growing Mayapple from seeds here:  Growing Podophyllum from seeds.
It is not difficult if you follow the directions. Mayapple seeds need to be sown fresh, if not moist packed, in order to obtain good germination. Be aware of companies selling dry kept seeds!!!

Podophyllum peltatum first year seedlings with cotyledon leaves in 2018; these are grown up by now and flowering!

Patience is required like with all other rhizomatous species, which are slow to develop in the first years. From seeds they will flower in 5-6 years.

As a side note, the seeds are enclosed in a sticky, mucilaginous mass, and are the most awful seeds to clean out! Ask everyone who has ever done it!

In dry years, the few formed fruits are aborted and offered seeds are quite rare, or available in tiny amounts. So, take advantage of this wet season when more fruits have been produced if you want to grow a few umbrellas in your woodland garden.

 

The Seeds Shop will open for orders next Monday, Aug. 28th – watch for the announcement and please do not order before!

 

 

Seeds and marshmallows

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Few more species have been added to the inventory; mostly seeds that arrived from friends, with many thanks:
Dianthus deltoides, Phlomis tuberosa, Ratibida pinnata, Althaea officinalis, Primula florindae and Gentiana asclepiadea (a wonderful mix of colors :-).

Phlomis tuberosa

Ratibida pinnata

Dianthus deltoides, Norway

Gentiana asclepiadea 2022

Primula florindae

Rosa acicularis ssp. sayi

Also Rosa acicularis ssp. sayi, Iris tectorum ‘Album’ and Silene uniflora ‘Compacta’, of which I forgot to post earlier. I am sure that after I finish processing all the seeds for cold storage placement, there will still be few to add to the list.

All are easily found through the Seeds List with the links leading to descriptions and all other necessary info. During our long winter we will get to talk in more detail about few of them for sure.

Right now, given the cold weather and snow, I feel like rambling about Althaea officinalis, the Marsh mallow.

I don’t think there is a medicinal garden or medicinal section of any Botanical Garden in the world that doesn’t display Althaea officinalis. The roots are rich in polysaccharides which can be extracted with cold water resulting in a mucilaginous substance with emollient and anti-inflammatory properties; the leaves are also edible and the dried flowers can be used in teas.

A group of Althaea officinalis plants. The wild form has whitish-rose flowers; there are cultivars in other colors as well.

According to various sources, the sap extracted from its roots has been used to make ‘honey candies’ since Ancient Egyptians. Romans and Greeks were also using them for coughs and sour throats. Like many other medicinal species, later it has jumped into the ornamental gardens. Nowadays it is escaped from cultivation in many regions of the world. It is a good plant for wildflowers gardens or the back of a border, with hibiscus-like flowers along the stems, enjoyed by pollinators.

An old botanical illustration showing the roots

Back to the marshmallows – you may have guessed, the real ones were made from the candied roots of this plant, hence the name.
Today in North America the marshmallow is a sweet product that only retained the former name. The composition may vary a bit but in general it reads: high glucose corn syrup, gelatin (to replace the mallow root extract), sugar, modified corn starch, dextrose, water, TSPP, Blue1, natural and artificial flavors. A few other additives are permitted in Canada since “Marshmallows are an unstandardized food, like most confectionery items with the exception of chocolate products and mixed nuts”.

Hmmm, what a ‘yummy’ sweet poison…

The French also produced their marshmallows at the beginning of 19th century under the name Pâte de Guimauve (Guimauve being the common name for Althaea in French).
The dessert was prepared from a mixture of Althaea roots sap, egg whites and sugar, beaten by hand for hours and was destined to royalties.

Good news is that Althaea officinalis is a perennial plant that it is easy to grow from seeds (or by division) and it develops a nice root system quite fast. The roots are whitish yellowish on the outside and white on the inside. It is easy to harvest a few pieces of roots, scrub them clean and process them into ‘candies’ or even easier for a non-sugar option: cut in small pieces and dry them (or process further into a powder). The extraction of the mucilage is quite simple, by maceration in cold water. Drink it up afterwards to soothe your throat or cough; there are benefits for other ailments as well. The mucilage and the leaves can also be used in external applications for skin inflammations.

PS. I am testing the GA3, stay tuned.

Conservation through propagation

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A short note for those who purchased Hydrastis canadensis (goldenseal) seeds last year and kept them in moist storage, as advised: it is time to sow the seeds! Then, put the pot outdoors and the seeds should germinate sometime in May.
You can read about the goldenseal and why I recommended this method below:
Goldenseal: Conservation through propagation

Hydrastis canadensis seeds aspect after warm/cold moist stratification, April 8, 2022

Every time I look at goldenseal and/or its seeds, the motto: “Conservation through propagation” comes to mind.
Driving through the outskirts of any city, you will probably notice large areas ‘cleaned’ up, leveled and ready for more buildings: homes, shopping plazas….True that they are necessary ‘evils’ but we are steadily pushing away, sometimes into oblivion, various plant species, invertebrates and all others living things related one to another.

Trillium erectum growing in a small woodland corridor in a nearby neighborhood a few years ago. Vanished by now….

Some may argue that Canada is a large country with a fortunate expanse of territories. However, many species are particularly adapted and grow only in certain regions/specific habitats.

What we can do is to offer refuge in our small urban gardens to as many native species as possible; at least to those that adapt well to garden cultivation. From personal experience, it is possible to harmoniously grow native and non-native species together, without having to give up your collectable, or ‘rare’ garden treasures.

Growing them from seeds involves more work, but preferable because it sustains the genetic variability. This is very important for their long-term survival and adaptation.  If not a seeds officionado, this spring look at your garden centre for offerings of native plants. Every little bit helps.

*Bloodroot seedlings from few years ago shown in the featured image. How long until we also declare Sanguinaria, Trillium erectum (and other species) endangered?

 

Ephedra distachya revisited

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By tradition in February I start the so called ‘warm sowings’: species that will germinate at room temperature. The seedlings are grown under lights indoors and by April/early May can already be acclimatize outdoors; in most cases, they are planted in the ground shortly after.

It is also a time when warm germinating species are re-tested for germination. Most species keep good germination rates for +/- 5 years (kept dry/cold) but there is no data available for all.

So, I considered necessary to re-test Ephedra distachya. It seems that the seeds are in good standing, starting to germinate in water in a few days. For those interested – the seeds are back in stock! If you want to grow something beautifully ‘different’, this species is for you.

Watch its journey from seeds to young plants in the plate below. This Ephedra likes hot summers, and it was no surprise that after a slow start in May/June (rainy & cold in 2019), has put up a nice growth from August till late fall.

Ephedra distachya 2019 journey from seeds to young plants in the ground; a reminder that it is a dioecious species – keep and grow a few seedlings for assurance of female/male plants ratio

The ‘warm games’ are declared open at BotanyCa; stay tuned for more seeds/seedlings happenings!

Berberidaceae seeds and embryos

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Update: GA3 treatment makes no difference for Caulophyllum or other species like it which have immature embryos; they need to be kept moist (or sown fresh) and allowed the required warm/cold cycles, multiple times in case of Caulophyllum (2-3 years).

Speaking about the inside winter gardening, this year I am trying to use GA3 to speed up the germination of Caulophyllum thalictroides (and a few others). There would be much to say about Caulophyllum seeds, from the fact that they develop outside the ovary and have a drupe-like look, they must be kept moist at all times after collecting, to the fact that they have a tiny immature embryo (it’s very hard to see it even with a hand-lens) but a gigantic corneous endosperm…
But I am only showing my new method of treating the seeds with a GA3 solution and then placing them back in vermiculite in the same small plastic bags, instead of using moist towel/Ziploc or sowing in pots. At this point, the embryos are most likely at the torpedo stage.

Caulophyllum thalictroides - GA3 treatments
Caulophyllum thalictroides seeds - vermiculite storage

I think it is a great method for medium to large size seeds and a super space saver (which is of my high interest right now). It is easy to see if/when something germinates, and I had proof that the roots can grow quite a bit on the support they get from vermiculite (in contrast to keeping the seeds in moist towels, where the new roots get entangled and are easily damaged).

If someone is curious to browse the gallery (hover for caption): sectioned seeds/embryos of Caulophyllum, Podophyllum peltatum and of Ranzania japonica, a most intriguing species from the same family as Caulophyllum (Berberidaceae). Many members of this family, which simply fascinates me, are difficult to grow from seeds: think Epimedium, Podophyllum, Jeffersonia, Vancouveria…I will be most happy to grow Ranzania – it looks like a cool hybrid plant between Glaucidium and Anemonopsis!
A few Epimedium and Jeffersonia diphylla were sown early summer last year. We’ll see about that… Update 2017 – the first seedling flowered this year!

C. thalictroides, moist kept seeds in January
Caulophyllum thalictroides - dry and moist kept cross-sectioned seeds
C. thalictroides: cross-section through seed
C. thalictroides - cross-sectioned seed with exposed torpedo embryo
Podophyllum peltatum - moist stored seeds, just starting to germinate
Ranzania japonica flower
Ranzania japonica seeds

The love of winter – Pipsissewa

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Chimaphila  from Greek: cheimon – winter, philein – to love

Pipsissewa from Cree language, meaning ‘it breaks into small pieces’

As we start looking towards the New Year, another thing becomes more obvious for those living in the northern hemisphere: winter has settled in! You absolutely have to love it; or you’ll be miserably dragging over 3+ months of hating it. Choose for yourself… Myself, I can’t wait to start new seeds experiments and to write more about the plants I love. Here’s the first one to put you in the mood of winter love ;)

Chimaphila umbellata (Pipsissewa, Prince’s pine) is another species about which I developed a mild obsession to propagate from seeds. It has showy, leathery, evergreen foliage, equally interesting pink, fragrant flowers and it grows in shady places (it has a taste for a slightly acidic soils). It would look great at the edge of the woodland garden or on the shaded side of a rockery. The dry capsules are also very ornamental and last into the next season; they contain lots of tiny, dust-like seeds (much like the Cypripediums) which are released easily when mature. The best time to try to collect them is in late fall.

The species is morphologically variable across its native range. Five or six subspecies have been recognized in the literature, depending on what source you look at; for example, the one from Ontario would be C. umbellata subsp. cisatlantica – it never gets easy…

Chimaphila umbellata
Chimaphila umbellata capsules
Chimaphila umbellata in late November

Only the difficult propagation made it virtually non-existent in cultivation. According to some sources, Pipsissewa is a partial myco-heterotrophic plant, which means that it obtains a portion of its nutrients from parasitizing fungi that are part of mycorrhizal associations of other plants. It also forms its own mycorrhizal symbiosis with fungi. Kind of complicated…

Reportedly, it can be propagated from cuttings and from rhizome fragments but not very successfully (I presume, otherwise we would have seen it in cultivation). I don’t have the conditions to try rooting cuttings and don’t feel like uprooting plants to take rhizomes, so I’ll stick with seed germination trial-outs. Others have tried with some success stratification of fresh seeds in a mix inoculated with local soil, and the fine size of the seeds suggests that it might be a light sensitive germinator. We’ll see how it goes…(not good until now).

Chimaphila umbellata seeds

Chimaphila umbellata seeds

Interested in medicinal plants? – read more

Pipsissewa was and still is valued for its medicinal properties. Native People used it in their traditional medicine mainly for treating rheumatism, as well as for kidney, liver disorders (leaves), and other ailments. Scientific research has confirmed its pharmacological qualities a long time ago, and the modern therapeutic use of C. umbellata reflects the traditional indications. In short, it can be used like Arctostaphyllos uva-ursi, but its active components are more potent.

Today it is utilized in small scale modern herbal medicine, but has become the component of a proprietary formula – Eviprostat® largely used in Japan and Europe for the treatment of benign enlargement of the prostate.

If this is good news, the bad is that Chimaphila has been classified as a slow-growing perennial, sensitive to harvesting pressures, ecological disturbances, and foot traffic; also various reports have emphasized that it regenerates too slowly for regular commercial harvesting.

 

Perception

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Vermiculite from Latin ‘vermiculus’ = wormlet

The recently emerged rootlet of bloodroot seed has attached on this vermiculite particle with the same desperation a climber clings onto a rock. A place to grow on, salvation…

Sanguinaria canadensis seedling attached

Sanguinaria canadensis seedling germinated in a bag with vermiculite, growing attached on a vermiculite particle

For us, it remains just an exfoliated fragment of a hydrated silicate mineral; worm-like shaped, lightweight, incombustible, compressible, sterile, with a high cation-exchange capacity…

Only very few Sanguinaria canadensis seeds have started to germinate in moist storage; this one was particularly well developed – good genes probably… The very young rhizome already shows signs of the future red coloration characteristic to Sanguinaria rhizomes.

Sanguinaria canadensis
Sanguinaria canadensis - seedlings

A tasty lunch

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The rainy weather of this year has surely pleased all the baneberries (Actaea species). Their fruits are not indicated to be consumed for lunch!!! being poisonous, but they are so attractive. Let’s call them local gourmet foods for the soul and eyes!

All Actaea species make for superb specimens in part-shade to shaded locations of the garden. White, fragrant flowers that attract pollinators in late spring, beautiful foliage, colourful and long-lasting fruits… isn’t this enough to consider adding these native beauties to your garden?

Actaea pachypoda – Doll’s eyes, White baneberries

Actaea pachypoda

Good fortune made it that I also found a few plants of A. pachypoda with magenta coloured fruits – which is a rare form given as Actaea pachypoda f. rubrocarpa (not everyone agrees on this, but after I found them, I surely do).

Actaea pachypoda f. rubrocarpa

Actaea pachypoda f. rubrocarpa

Actaea rubra – Red baneberry

Actaea rubra

I am very pleased that I can offer them all in my Seed Catalogue – BotanyCa. They are a bit difficult to germinate sometimes (just require more time) but since when are beautiful things easy to obtain?

A chic hat

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Update: ID as Aconitum variegatum subsp. paniculatum

All Aconitum species are wearing cool hats but this one in particular with the hood on one side looks very chic. Growing Aconitum from seeds that are not properly identified is quite a pain, but worth the trouble.

All monkshoods are equally beautiful and deadly, with spikes of violet, dark blue, yellow or white hood-shaped, complicated flowers that one needs to know the terminology in order to ‘read’ their characters. Species are usually described on the basis of root and flower morphology.

Aconitum variegatum

Update: Aconitum variegatum subsp. paniculatum

After lots of searches, pictures, dissections… this one was narrowed down to Aconitum variegatum subsp. paniculatum (syn. Aconitum degenii) or A. variegatum subsp. variegatum. We’ll know for sure in late fall after I’ll dig it up and see the tuber shape; and maybe I’ll have a seed or two but glad to hear other opinions…

Aconitum variegatum

Aconitum variegatum: sepals (hood with pronounced rostrum) and petals with coiled nectary spurs

 

Before being praised as a garden plant, Aconitum was considered (and still is) “the king of the poisons” (Europe) or “the king of medicines” (Tibet and China), depending on where it grew, but this is a good subject for wintertime storytelling…
It is a good idea to wear gloves when doing anything that involves touching an Aconitum. It contains highly active and toxic alkaloids.

Aconitum variegatum

Aconitum variegatum (?)

 

What’s cooking?

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My kitchen has become a small scale operation – thinking fruit pies, jams and jellies?

Caulophyllum thalictroides

Caulophyllum thalictroides seeds

Caulophyllum thalictroides (Blue cohosh) blue seeds will easily pass for blueberries but unfortunately are poisonous if ingested in large quantities. That’s very improbable to happen though because what seems like a big berry is actually a single huge seed surrounded by a thin fleshy and blue seed coat.

More likely to lose a tooth or two than being poisoned!

Caulophyllum thalictroides cleaned seeds

Caulophyllum thalictroides cleaned seeds

On the other hand, Podophyllum peltatum (Mayapple) fruit it is/has been used to prepare jams and jellies. The big size fruit (hog apple, wild lemon, Indian apple), when fully ripen has a light yellow colour and a persimmon fragrance (in my opinion). It is actually the only part of the plant that’s not toxic.

Podophyllum peltatum fruits

Podophyllum peltatum fruits

To ensure good germination seeds of both species have to be placed in moist storage right away. They belong to a large category of species with hydrophylic seeds (intolerant of dry storage).

Also, both species are important North American medicinal woodland plants.

Podophyllum peltatum seeds

Mayapple seeds – enclosed in a gooey substance

PS. In case you have available large quantities of mayapple fruits to make jam, be kind and promote a sustainable harvest (always) by discarding the seeds in a nearby wooden area.

Would you care for some seeds?- click

 

Out in the woods – the Blue Cohosh

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A short hike revealed quite a change of the woodland floor with a few ‘faces’ familiar to everyone, like the trout lily (Erythronium americanum), spring beauties (Claytonia spp.), mayapple (Podophyllum peltatum) and Trillium ready to flower but also forgotten woodland treasures such as the Blue Cohosh (Caulophyllum thalictroides).

Spring woodland flowers

 

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 Caulophyllum thalictroides – Blue Cohosh, papoose root, squawroot

Blue cohosh is an impressive plant, easy to recognize in early spring by the strikingly beautiful purple, almost back shoots. The foliage will change later to green and resemble the meadow rue (Thalictrum), hence the epithet ‘thalictroides’.

‘Cohosh’ is believed to derive from an Algonquian word meaning ‘rough’, referring to the texture of the plant’s rhizome, while ‘blue’ comes from the unusually blue seeds. Also the stem and leaves are covered with a bluish film early in the summer.

Caulophyllum thalictroides shoot in early spring

Caulophyllum thalictroides shoot in early spring

The small purplish or yellowish green flowers would not qualify for a beauty contest but not the same goes for the blue seeds adorning the stems in the fall. For combinations in the garden, only imagination is the limit: a mix palette with early spring flowering native species (Claytonia, Erytronium, Sanguinaria) or for an European decor combined with: Corydalis solida, early primroses, Anemone nemorosa, Ranunculus, so on…For part-shade to shade locations, in rich humus soil.

 Other uses:

Blue cohosh was used medicinally (powder rhizomes) by various native American tribes, mainly to promote childbirth (‘squawroot’) but also for: anxiety, rheumatism, stomach cramps and genito-urinary dysfunctions. It contains a number of active compounds among which caulosaponin is a powerful stimulator of uterine contractions (under medical attention it is still used in modern herbal medicine as a natural labour-inducing stimulant).

Shining – Gaultheria procumbens

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Filled out with the enthusiasm brought by a sunny, warm day (first after a long and dreary winter), we had our first hike in the forest. In the shaded areas the snow cover was still knee deep but on the warmed up slopes, underneath bare oak trees, a carpet of glossy, purple leaves was shining in the sun – the wintergreen.

Gaultheria procumbens - fruits in early springGaultheria procumbens (wintergreen, teaberry, mountain tea) – is an adorable low growing evergreen shrub native to northeastern North America usually found in pine and hardwood forests and as a part of the oak-heath forest, favouring acidic soil. It reaches about 10-15 cm high with glossy, leathery and fragrant leaves (when crushed) that will turn purple in the fall, especially in sunny areas. It has white, bell-shaped flowers (typical of fam. Ericaceae) and “berry-like” red fruits, which persist through the winter.

For the gardens it is an excellent groundcover beneath other acidic-lovers, in part-shade to full shade locations and it has received an AGM from Royal Horticultural Society.

But I don’t know if any of this would matter until you see it shining brightly one early day of spring

Gaultheria procumbens -early spring

Gaultheria procumbens – in early spring after the snowmelt

Besides its ornamental qualities as an evergreen groundcover, it has been used traditionally for making a fine herbal tea and also for the extraction of wintergreen oil (used for flavouring of chewing gum, candies, medicinal). Indigenous people used Gaultheria for medicinal purposes too, most commonly for relieving aches and pains and rheumatism. The colonists who first started to use the wintergreen leaves as a substitute for the imported tea during the Revolutionary War, also adopted its medicinal uses.

Gaultheria procumbens flowering (Killarney, Ontario)

Gaultheria procumbens flowering in Killarney, Ontario among Cladonia

Most wintergreen oil is produced synthetically today, but in traditional herbal medicine oil extracted from fresh leaves is preferred. The active ingredient of this oil is methyl salicylate, an aspirin- like compound, which like aspirin has proven anti-inflammatory, antirheumatic and analgesic properties.

Gaultheria procumbens also has wildlife value – the leaves and fruits will be consumed in the winter by various animals such as wild turkey, red fox, northern bobwhite, pheasant, eastern chipmunk….not to mention that the pollinators are indulging in its flowers in the spring.

Bumble bee on Gaultheria procumbens

Propagation: by seeds, cuttings, divisions.

Note: Gaultheria honors Jean-Francois Gaulthier – physician and botanist in the French colony of Quebec in mid-17th.

Would you care for some seeds? - click

 

 

A Yellow Giant: Gentiana lutea

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Some of you may be surprised to find out that the following image belongs to a gentian, but it’s true. This is Gentiana lutea (Yellow gentian, Bitter Root), native to the mountainous regions of central and southern Europe (Carpathians, Alps, Pyrenees…), where usually grows in alpine and sub-alpine meadows on calcareous soils. It is a tall perennial, reaching 1-2 m, with large leaves arranged in a basal rosette until flowering. The yellow flowers are atypical for a gentian, with corolla deeply divided in 5-7 narrow petals, and disposed in terminal and axillary clusters.

Gentiana lutea

Gentiana lutea flowers

Gentiana lutea has been used for centuries as a medicinal plant, and to flavour alcoholic drinks commonly known as bitters, which are very common and widely used in Germany, France, Switzerland and Italy. For this purpose, the roots and rhizomes are collected in late fall and dried, practice that has lead to over-collecting and brought the species to endangered lists in many countries. The principal medicinal use of the yellow gentian is for digestive disorders due to its bitter compounds, among which the gentiopicrin, is one of the most bitter natural compounds known.

Apart for its medicinal virtues, it is an impressive perennial, a focal point for a sunny perennial garden. It is a rare find, so hurry up and spread the word! Flowers in June-July or in July-August at high elevations. Needless to say that it is very hardy. Propagation has to be done by seed.

Gentiana lutea

Gentiana lutea in the Display Garden at Lost Horizons

Of botanical interest: Despite its atypical flowers Gentiana lutea it is the type species of the genus Gentiana! [The generic type is a representative species that is selected when a genus is described].

I’ll have more on Gentiana lutea, as the few seeds I collected from the Carpathians Mts. will germinate (fingers crossed) and also I hope I’ll manage to collect more seeds in the future.

Meanwhile,  you can see the yellow giant in flower by visiting the Lost Horizons Display Garden in July (and sometimes a few plants are available for sale).