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Gentianaceae FAMILY Least Concern

Gentiana asclepiadea

Gentiana asclepiadea

Edibility
0/5
Medicinal
4/5

Safety & Hazards

None known

Cultivation Details

HabitPerennial
Growth—

Gentiana asclepiadea is native to mountainous regions in the temperate zone of Europe and west Asia, usually at elevations below 1,500 metres. A moderately cold-tolerant plant, when fully dormant it can withstand temperatures down to about -20°c[1]. Gentiana species generally grow best when there is ample moisture to the roots in the growing season, but they also require very good drainage[1]. Often being native to mountainous regions, they require a certain minimum of atmospheric humidity; a high light intensity; but also a site where temperatures are not too high in the growing season[2]. They are therefore more difficult to grow in areas with hot summers and in such a region they appreciate some protection from the strongest sunlight[1, 2]. Most species will grow well in the rock garden[1]. This species is generally of easy cultivation, tolerating a range of soils and preferring a moist position in light to medium shade[2]. A long-lived species[2]. Plants are intolerant of root disturbance[1].

Propagation

Seed - best sown in early January in a light position in a cold frame[2]. It can also be sown in late winter or early spring but the seed germinates best if given a period of cold stratification and quickly loses viability when stored, with older seed germinating slowly and erratically[1, 2]. It is advantageous to keep the seed at about 10°c for a few days after sowing, to enable the seed to imbibe moisture[2]. Following this with a period of at least 5 - 6 weeks with temperatures falling to between 0 and -5°c will usually produce reasonable germination[2]. It is best to use clay pots, since plastic ones do not drain so freely and the moister conditions encourage the growth of moss, which will prevent germination of the seed[2]. The seed should be surface-sown, or only covered with a very light dressing of compost - it is vital to ensure the pots do not become dry[2].. The seed requires dark for germination, so the pots should be covered with something like newspaper or be kept in the dark[2]. Pot up the seedlings into individual pots as soon as they are large enough to handle and grow on in light shade in the greenhouse for at least their first winter. The seedlings grow on very slowly, taking 2 - 7 years to reach flowering size[2]. When the plants are of sufficient size, place them out into their permanent positions in late spring or early summer. Division of older plants is often possible in early spring before they come into growth.. Make sure each division has an adequate amount of root and several growth buds[2]. Cuttings of basal shoots in late spring[3]. Cite as: Temperate Plants Database, Ken Fern. temperate.theferns.info. 2026-02-21. <temperate.theferns.info/plant/Gentiana+asclepiadea>

Pollinators

Insects

References

  1. [1]The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. — Huxley. A. · MacMillan Press · 1992 · ISBN 0-333-47494-5 ↩︎Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.
  2. [2]Gentians. — Köhlein. F. · Christopher Helm. London. · 1991 · ISBN 0-88192-192-0 ↩︎A nice readable book, giving details of habitats and cultural needs for many of the members of this genus, with brief notes on other genera in the family.
  3. [3]Encyclopaedia of Herbs and their Uses. — Bown. D. · Dorling Kindersley, London. · 1995 · ISBN 0-7513-020-31 ↩︎A very well presented and informative book on herbs from around the globe. Plenty in it for both the casual reader and the serious student. Just one main quibble is the silly way of having two separate entries for each plant.
  4. [4]Flora of the USSR. — Komarov. V. L. · Israel Program for Scientific Translation · 1968 · http://www.biodiversitylibrary.org · ISBN - ↩︎An immense (25 or more large volumes) and not yet completed translation of the Russian flora. Full of information on plant uses and habitats but heavy going for casual readers. It can be downloaded from the Internet.
  5. [5]IUCN Red List of Threatened Species — http://www.iucnredlist.org/ ↩︎A list of plants under threat and facing possible extinction, usually with brief details of the threats and information on habitat.
  6. [6]Chemical Composition, Antioxidant and Antigenotoxic Activities of different fractions of Gentiana asclepiadea L. Roo — Mihailović V. et al · 2013 · ISBN 1611-2156 ↩︎
  7. [7]A Modern Herbal. — Grieve. · Penguin · 1984 · ISBN 0-14-046-440-9 ↩︎Not so modern (1930's?) but lots of information, mainly temperate plants.
  8. [8]Encyclopaedia of Medicinal Plants. — Chiej. R. · MacDonald · 1984 · ISBN 0-356-10541-5 ↩︎Covers plants growing in Europe. Also gives other interesting information on the plants. Good photographs.
  9. [9]Edible and Medicinal Plants. — Launert. E. · Hamlyn · 1981 · ISBN 0-600-37216-2 ↩︎Covers plants in Europe. a drawing of each plant, quite a bit of interesting information.
  10. [10]Complete Guide to Herbs. — Holtom. J. and Hylton. W. · Rodale Press · 1979 · ISBN 0-87857-262-7 ↩︎A good herbal.
  11. [11]The Herb Book. — Lust. J. · Bantam books · 1983 · ISBN 0-553-23827-2 ↩︎Lots of information tightly crammed into a fairly small book.
  12. [12]The Dictionary of Modern Herbalism. — Mills. S. Y. ↩︎An excellent small herbal.