Gentian, Yellow (Gentiana lutea) seeds, organic
$4.95 – $12.00
Family: Gentian (Gentianaceae)
Hardy to Zones 4 to 8, prefers altitude. Low altitude or hot summer sites, keep plants in shade.
Herbaceous perennial native to the mountain meadows of central and southern Europe and Asia Minor. Rare and most everywhere now protected in its native habitat. The flowers are rich yellow, the herbage is succulent and the root is the premier official bitter which is utilized for making various aperitifs and the famous Swedish Bitters. Traditional usage (TWM): bitter digestive. The plant prefers rich soil of neutral pH, moist but well-drained in sun to shade. Short-lived seed. Cold-stored seed. Sow in fall, winter or very early spring for germination in the spring. Outdoor nursery bed technique or shadehouse technique preferred. Seed germinates best in the dark. Press seed into surface, cover with 1/4 inch compost, tamp securely and keep evenly moist. Transplant when sufficiently robust to survive on the landscape. Space plants 2 feet apart–they get very large! Flowers 3 to 4 feet tall.
Packet contains 50 seeds
1 g contains ~900 seeds
Certified Organically Grown
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Richo Cech –
hi Stephanie, Thanks for writing. Planting in dark conditions doesn’t necessarily equate to planting deeply. I’ve always started yellow gentian in the shadehouse, thereby precluding direct light. Barely cover the seeds and tamp–they do not have resources to push through a heavy overburden. Yes, gentian seed is short-0lived, please plant ASAP. richo
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Question
elyanahshearer08 –
Hi Richo, I see you sell a few different kinds of Gentian. Which is most medicinal and would survive hot summers (I live in zone 8)?
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Richo Cech –
hello elyanah, thanks so much for writing and for thinking about this. both of the true gentiana that we currently have in stock are used interchangeably in herbal medicine. they will do everything a bitter is supposed to do. the Tibetan gentian is easier to germinate and will take more heat and regular garden conditions. In the warmer zones it is best to provide part shade. The yellow gentian is really strictly alpine, and wants full sun, elevation, a rocky and evermoist substrate. These are more thoroughly covered in my book “Growing Plant Medicine” which is recommended. If you are willing to go beyond Gentiana to find the bitters, try wormwood (Artemisia absinthium) or that king of bitters Andrographis paniculata, both of which will grow well in your zone. richo
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Question
Daniel Doleiden (verified owner) –
Hi Richo, as these seeds are cold stored, is cold stratification unnecessary? Or is the cold storage done to preserve viability? Thanks!
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Richo Cech –
hi daniel, yes, you have it right, cold storage extends viability and cold stratification is still needed. richo
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Question
Stacey Lee –
What date will the 1g seed option be available?
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Richo Cech –
Hi Stacey, When the new harvest is ready, probably not until December. richo
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