Gentiana asclepiadea

Willow gentian is one of the most beautiful plants for the fall garden. It is tall and graceful with narrow leaves and arching stems. Rich, purple-blue trumpet-shaped blooms climb the stems in late summer and fall. Long-lived and easy to grow in almost any condition, but truly thrives in semi-shady, moist but well-drained conditions. Pairs beautifully with ferns or golden Japanese forest grass.

Distinctions: Winner of an Award of Garden Merit from the Royal Horticulture Society.

Zones: 3 to 7

Family: Gentianaceae

Type: Perennial

Height: 24 to 36 in.

Spread: 18 to 24 in.

Exposure: Full sun, part-shade, light shade

Soil Conditions: moist, average, humus rich, fertile

Bloom Time: July to September

Bloom Color: Dark Blue

Native Range: Central European Mountains, Siberia to North America, Turkey

Image Credits:

• Krzysztof Ziarnek, Kenraiz, CC BY-SA 4.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0>, via Wikimedia Commons