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Bottle Gentian
Gentiana andrewsii

A beautiful, slow-growing, native, perennial herb that is usually 1-2' tall. It has maroon to bronze fall color. A wonderful perennial for perennial gardens, rain gardens and rock gardens. It is used in restorations of prairies, wet meadows, lake edges, calcareous situations and ditches where it will be provided with enough sun the first growing season. It can be hard to establish in areas with significant competition.

USDA symbol: GEAN

General Information

Plant TypeForb
Height2 feet
Light ExposureSun, Part Sun
Soil MoistureMedium
Bloom ColorBlue
Bottle Gentian (Bottle Gentian<div><em class="small">Gentiana andrewsii</em></div>)
Photo credit: Metro Blooms (Click to enlarge)

Tolerances

Flooding / Inundation ToleranceModerate
General Resilience5
Salt ToleranceLow
Stress ToleranceDrought Tolerant, Fire Tolerant, General Disturbance

Pollinator Value: High

Bloom MonthsAugust to October
Pollinator BenefitInsect Pollinated, Provides Nectar, Supports Specialists

Project Planning

Project TypeBoulevard, Rain Garden, Restoration, Sandy or Engineered Soils, Shoreline Buffer
Coefficient of Conservatism7
Herbivore SensitivityLow
LifespanPerennial
Rate of SpreadSlow
Soil StabilizationShallow
Vegetative ReproductionAbsent

Range

CountyAitkin, Anoka, Becker, Beltrami, Benton, Big Stone, Blue Earth, Cass, Chippewa, Chisago, Clay, Clearwater, Cottonwood, Crow Wing, Dakota, Dodge, Douglas, Faribault, Fillmore, Freeborn, Goodhue, Grant, Hennepin, Houston, Isanti, Itasca, Jackson, Kandiyohi, Kittson, Koochiching, Lac qui Parle, Lincoln, Lyon, Mahnomen, Marshall, McLeod, Meeker, Mille Lacs, Morrison, Mower, Nobles, Norman, Otter Tail, Pennington, Pine, Pipestone, Polk, Pope, Ramsey, Redwood, Renville, Rice, Rock, Roseau, Sherburne, Sibley, St. Louis, Stearns, Steele, Stevens, Traverse, Wabasha, Washington, Watonwan, Wilkin, Winona, Wright, Yellow Medicine
EcoregionDriftless Area, Lake Agassiz Plain, North Central Hardwood Forests, Northern Glaciated Plains, Northern Lakes and Forests, Northern Minnesota Wetlands, Western Cornbelt Plains
Approximate Eco ProvinceEastern Broadleaf Forest, Laurentian Mixed Forest, Prairie Parkland, Tallgrass Aspen Parklands