Gentiana asclepiadea AGM

Willow-leaved Gentian Gentianaceae

A statuesque gentian with none of the fussiness sometimes associated with its alpine relatives, Gentiana asclepiadea produces elegant, arching stems clothed in pairs of narrow, willow-like leaves and crowned from late summer into autumn with large, intensely deep-blue trumpets. It is one of the taller and more garden-worthy gentians, forming a substantial clump rather than a diminutive rock-garden cushion, and its late flowering makes it particularly valuable when much of the herbaceous border is beginning to wind down. The species is native across central and southern Europe eastwards through the Balkans and Türkiye to the Caucasus and north-western Iran, with its principal habitat being montane woodland, woodland margins and damp, grassy places. 

In cultivation it is remarkably accommodating provided it is not allowed to bake or dry out. Give it humus-rich, moisture-retentive but well-drained soil, preferably acid to neutral, in partial shade or dappled woodland conditions. In cooler, reliably moist climates it will tolerate considerably more sun, but protection from intense midday heat is advisable. Avoid chalky soils and prolonged drought. 

A splendid plant for the late-season woodland garden, where those almost improbably blue flowers look particularly effective against ferns and fading foliage. It has also earned the RHS Award of Garden Merit.

Height: 60–100 cm
Spread: 30–50 cm
Flowering: August–October
Hardiness: H5, approximately –15 to –10°C
Growing conditions: Moist but well-drained, humus-rich acid or neutral soil; partial shade or dappled shade. More sun is possible where summers are cool and the soil remains reliably moist