The great family of gentians
There are so many species of gentians that they can hardly be enumerated. For the hobby gardener, however, only a few varieties play a role.
also read
- The flowering time of gentian depends on the variety
- The right location for the gentian in the garden
- Gentian is not poisonous
For the ornamental garden, especially the low-living species that are very easy to use are suitable maintain permit.
However, it is important to know the exact variety. Some gentian species absolutely need calcareous soil, while others only thrive on acidic soils.
Stemless gentian species
The two best known stemless gentian species that are grown in the garden are the Clusius gentian and Koch's gentian. They look very similar, but have very different requirements for the location.
It is best to plant Clusius gentian on calcareous soils; Koch's gentian is the better choice on acidic soils.
The two types can be distinguished from the blossom. The flowers of Koch's gentian have five striking green points. The shoots of the Clusius gentian are also shorter than those of the other representative from the gentian family.
Small overview of known gentian species
| description | Botanical name | Flower color | height | Heyday | floor | particularities |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring gentian | Gentiana verna | blue | approx. 10 centimeters | March to August | Calcareous, lean | 2. Flowering in autumn |
| Clusius gentian | Gentiana clusii | blue | approx. 10 centimeters | May to August | calcareous | very short stem |
| Koch's gentian | Gentiana acaulis | Azure blue with 5 green spots | approx. 10 centimeters | May to August | angry | |
| Autumn gentian | Gentiana scabra | blue | 30 to 60 cm | May to December | sandy | |
| Yellow gentian | Gentiana lutea | yellow | 50 to 150 cm | June to August | calcareous | blooms only after 10 years |
| White gentian | Gentiana tibetica | White | up to 40 cm | July to August | ||
| Bavarian gentian | Gentiana bavarica | blue | up to 10 cm | July to August | calcareous |
Tips & Tricks
The gentian schnapps, which is very popular in southern Europe, is made from the root of the yellow gentian. The perennials grown in the ornamental garden do not contain enough Bitter substancesto get the typical gentian aroma from it.
