Marvellous Gentiana
There are a few seeds of Gentiana paradoxa hybrid to share this fall, so the time has come to talk about the marvelous group of so called fall Gentianas: Gentiana paradoxa, Gentiana septemfida and their hybrids.
On we go!
Gentiana paradoxa is an endemic species with limited distribution in the Western Caucasus region.
In some cases, pictures shown over the net as Gentiana paradoxa are in fact hybrids. This species cross-pollinates easily with Gentiana septemfida both in the wild and in the garden; and in fact, this is a good thing (https://powo.science.kew.org/taxon/urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:368636-1)
Records show that Gentiana paradoxa was named by Russian botanist Nikolai Michailovic Albov in 1894 from specimens collected on the calcareous slopes of Mt. Kherebet Mamdzyhkhara, Abkhazia at 1300 m altitude (various spellings, Mt. Mamdzyshkha).
The specific epithet “paradoxa” means is – “contrary to expectation, paradoxical, marvellous”. It is indeed a marvellous species, with upright stems up to 20-25 cm, linear or narrow lanceolate leaves arranged in whorls and single large, blue, fringed flowers at the top of the stems. A mature specimen is truly magnificent.
I was lucky to received wild collected seeds a few years ago, so the specimen shown here represents the true species. You can easily tell if a Gentiana paradoxa is pure species simply after the foliage, which in optimal conditions turns a beautiful yellow in late fall. Also, there are single flowers at the top of the stems, as opposed to clusters in G. septemfida.
Amazingly, it is not a difficult species in culture. Do not believe the wiki statement “However, it is not particularly easy to grow, requiring moist, well-drained, lime-free soil and a position in full sun.” As you can see, they didn’t do their homework well, like it often happens.
Gentiana septemfida
Gentiana septemfida
It is a more commonly cultivated species and also with a larger geographical distribution: from N. & E. Türkiye to N. Iran, overlapping with Gentiana paradoxa in the Transcaucasus region. It grows from the upper forest to the alpine zones. It was first described from the alpine region of eastern Caucasus. (https://powo.science.kew.org/taxon/urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:368901-1)
The flowering stems have a trailing habit with ovoid, ovoid-lanceolate or lanceolate leaves and blue flowers usually in crowded clusters at the top of the stems. There are rare forms mentioned having only one or 2-3 flowers (f. uniflora and f. pauciflora). There are other differences from G. paradoxa flower-wise, but there is no need to go into more botanical details.
Gentiana paradoxa x septemfida hybrids
These two beautiful species easily hybridize in the wild when growing in the same area and also in the garden. The seedlings will display intermediate characters in various degrees, as well as the foliage, flowers and flowering time! By looking at my hybrid clump (a bunch of seedlings were planted together), they tend to take mainly after Gentiana septemfida, flowers and habit wise, having trailing flowering stems.
However, flowering time wise they take more after Gentiana paradoxa, all starting to flower in the first part of August and lasting into September. A Gentiana septemfida, which I also have in the garden, flowers much earlier, in mid-July.
The nr. of flowers/cluster vary, some with up to 8-10 flowers! Something similar goes around under the name of G. paradoxa hybrid ‘Blue Herald’. With Gentiana paradoxa raised from wild collected seeds growing nearby, the possibilities of even more beautiful hybrids are endless. They are going to be the result of a double cross with Gentiana paradoxa!
There is just one problem: the results of pollination were quite poor, both in true Gentiana paradoxa and the hybrids, signaling a limited self-pollination or maybe a lack of enough pollinators. Careful selecting is necessary in order to separate the good seeds.
Gentiana paradoxa hybrid seeds selection. A very small number of good seeds were formed, considering the large number of flowers
Growing these species and their hybrids from seeds
Gentiana paradoxa hybrid seedlings – picture just taken; they were transferred in a bigger pot as a bunch in late summer. Next spring, a delicate division of the seedlings will be done in individual pots.
These beautiful late summer/early fall flowering gentian species and their hybrids are very easy to grow from seeds and they are also quite adaptable as garden plants.
Why doesn’t this phenomenon happen more often?! They deserve a medal of merit especially for enduring well our hot & humid summers!
The seeds germinate in the spring after cold-moist stratification. I usually sow in late fall and leave the pots outdoors over the winter (with some protection, boxes under the snow, cold frame…). In the first season, the seedlings don’t grow a lot, but then they will make a leap forward.
GA3 treatment is also an option if you want to start them in early spring indoors (beware the elongation of the seedlings though).
The few seeds of last year were sown, and with more plants around, hopefully the pollination and harvest of good seeds may increase. Plus, the more marvelous gentiana plants in the garden, the better!
On we go!
Gentiana paradoxa hybrids
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