Gentian: planting and care. How to grow gentian garden

Gentian has not yet taken root with our florists as a popular flowerbed decoration. It is rarely seen in a modern front garden. However, this plant is undeservedly undervalued.

Gentian. Characteristic

This low or medium-height herbaceous plant with large flowers, located very close to each other, creating, thus, a blooming cloud. The gentian plant came to us from the wild. It is great for decorating flower beds, edging floral arrangements, as well as for ennobling curbs. This flower has gathered the widest palette of blue shades. No other plant can boast such an abundance of blue, blue and purple flowers. Varieties of gentian exist about 90 names, among which there are other shades, for example, white, pink and yellow.

This plant is mountainous, which grows at very high altitudes, from 1200 to 5000 meters above sea level.

Gentian has a long flowering period, which begins in the summer, and ends in late autumn. It is quite common in different latitudes of Europe and Asia.

Varieties

Gentian is magnificent - this is one of the smallest species, not more than 7 centimeters high, with narrow aulic leaves. There is a darkening in the middle of the campanulate flower.

Gentian large-leaf - this is a medium-sized specimen, reaching 10 centimeters in height, with oval green or purple leaves. The top of the stem is divided into several pieces, providing an even more magnificent flower mass. The bud itself has a bell-shaped pink color with dark red stripes. This kind of gentian will please with its flowering from September to the end of October.

Gentian is Chinese-decorated - this is one of the larger varieties, reaching 15 cm in height, with narrow, awl-shaped leaves, bright and rich striped flowers. The color of the stripes can be bright white or pale blue. These are earlier varieties that please their flowering from May to August.

Gentian Aretusa is very similar to the above described variety, differing in the palette of flowers, which is pale or saturated lilac and has dark bands in the lower part. This variety is late-flowering, from August to October.

Gentian capitate is a very large species, reaching 30 centimeters in height, with pink-lilac petals having a dot pattern along the edge and at the base. Flowering occurs in September-October.

Gentian yellow - this is the most curative variety, not distinguished by special decorative properties.

Gentian pink and flowering. Another of the representatives of large, reaching 50 centimeters of plants, flowers are pink, single, very large, on the edge of the petal is rugged. It is a frost-resistant culture that blooms from October to frosts.

Gentian black-leaf is a small variety. The flowers are large, bright blue, strewn with white dots. Blooms in autumn, in September-October.

Gentian hardening. A large specimen, reaching 50 centimeters in height, with pale lilac flowers. The flowering period is from August to the end of October.

Gentian. Planting and care

This plant is difficult to grow, it needs special conditions. Even in spite of its unique decorative appearance, a plant such as gentian is quite rare in our gardens. Planting and caring for her are quite complex.

The approach to each gentian variety is quite individual. Depending on where it grows in natural conditions, it can be both light-loving, preferring sunny places, and shade-loving, not bringing sunlight. But as a rule, the ideal place for their accommodation is the western side and a light penumbra. Also, despite the fact that the gentian is a mountain plant, it does not tolerate drying and adapts well in places with high humidity, for example, in natural or artificial water bodies.

Reproduction

Also, there may be some difficulties with the choice of soil. Gentian prefers the presence of gravel in the soil, and also to ensure that the earth is easily permeable, since the plant does not tolerate stagnation of moisture.

Propagation by dividing the bush, cuttings or sowing seeds such a plant as gentian. Planting and caring for seedlings need attention. It is difficult to grow gentian seeds, because the seeds are very small, and for their development, moist, well-ventilated conditions with a temperature of 7 degrees Celsius are needed. They germinate only after 1-3 months. If during this period the temperature rises significantly, the seedlings may die. For germination of seeds , the soil is necessary in the composition of sand and peat, in a proportion of 2: 1. Seeds do not fall on top of the earth, but only watered, due to which they sink into the soil layer.

It is much easier to multiply gentian by dividing the bush in autumn. In this case, it should be borne in mind that it is necessary to carefully preserve the earth clod, together with the root system of the plant. So it's better to live and not die.

Features

This plant has curative flowers. Gentian is widely used in recipes of traditional medicine. Especially often they are used in Chinese and Indian culture.

At present, in many countries, as well as in Russia, gentian is listed in the Red Book, as it was destroyed in large quantities for the purpose of application in medicine.

Healing properties

Gentian contains many glycosides - bitter substances, positively affecting the work of the gastrointestinal tract, as well as having an antispasmodic effect. The ground portion is used in the treatment of gastritis and colitis. Especially valuable is the gentian yellow.

Plant roots are also saturated with several species of bitter glycosides, such as amarosperin, gentiopicrine and others. These alkaloids help to suppress coughing attacks, various seizures, they lower the body temperature, and also have an anti-inflammatory effect.

Gentian due to the high content of various alkaloids and acids is used as a decoction in the treatment of diseases of the gastrointestinal tract, gallbladder and liver. It also has an antifungal effect and is an adjuvant in the treatment of arthritis, gout, heartburn, constipation and scurvy.

A beautiful and useful gentian flower. Planting and caring for it can be a difficult business, but the plant will cure, and will please with its decorative features. Do not deny yourself the pleasure of planting a gentian in your own garden, since the beauty of flowering with ease justifies all the effort expended.