Description
This yellow giant Gentiana has been known and cultivated for centuries in Europe as a medicinal plant, and to flavour alcoholic digestive drinks commonly known as bitters.
But it is also an impressive garden plant, especially when used as a focal point. It has large, coriaceous leaves arranged in a basal rosette until flowering, which begins in the second or third year when grown from seeds. The yellow flowers are disposed in terminal and axillary clusters on a tall stem, and, atypical for a gentian, with the corolla deeply divided in 5-7 narrow petals.
It takes a few years until it reaches the mature size, but once established, it is a very long lived gentian.
Medicinal: the principal therapeutic use of the yellow gentian is for digestive disorders due to its bitter compounds, among which the gentiopicrin (one of the most bitter natural compounds known).
Germination: cold-moist stratification for a few months (below 0C) or with a GA3 treatment. Many studies have been done regarding the germination treatments, and opinions vary regarding the most effective GA3 concentrations (recommendations vary from 100 to 1000 ppm). The seedlings in the image have sprouted promptly after a 1000 ppm GA3 treatment, but they are a bit elongated so maybe lower concentrations should be tried. Without GA3 the germination will happen over 2-3 years, irregularly.
Update: after treatment with GA3 solution lower than 1000 ppm, the germination is slower but the seedlings have a better aspect.
Reviews
There are no reviews yet.