Gentianaceae FAMILY

Swertia purpurascens

Edibility

0/5

Medicinal

2/5

Safety & Hazards

None known

Cultivation Details

HabitAnnual

Growth—

Swertia species are generally plants of moderate to high elevations where they are often found on damp slopes and humus-rich, peat mosses. They grow best in areas with cool summers and perennial species are generally cold-hardy to temperatures down to around -15°c^[1]. Swertia species generally grow well in humus-rich soils in damp, open woodland, by streams or in bog gardens^[1].

Propagation

Seed - sow in trays in spring in a humus-rich medium in temperatures not exceeding 10°c^[1]. When they are large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and plant them out in early summer. Cite as: Temperate Plants Database, Ken Fern. temperate.theferns.info. 2026-02-21. <temperate.theferns.info/plant/Swertia+purpurascens>

Pollinators

Data unavailable

References

[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]Flora of China — Missouri Botanical Garden Press; St. Louis. · 1994 · http://flora.huh.harvard.edu/china/ ↩︎An excellent, comprehensive resource in 25 volumes. In addition to the botanical information the flora also gives basic information on habitat and some uses. An on-line version is also available.
[3]Non-Timber Forest Products of Nepal Himalaya - database of some important species found in the mountain protected ar — Ghimire S.K. et al · WWF Nepal, Kathmandu, Nepal · 2008 · ISBN 978-99946-837-9-6 ↩︎