Gentiana ornata

This autumn-flowering species of gentian was first discovered by Danish botanist Wallich in 1820. He had discovered it in the Gosain Than, C. Nepal. It may have remained in relative obscurity, from a horticultural point of view, until 1930 when it was introduced through Thomas Hay of the Royal parks and Gardens, London. On this occasion the field notes show that this collection was made at 14,000ft in Chocgo, Nepal. The species flowers during the months of September and October in its native Himalaya and this time period can be mirrored in cultivation, too.

Gentiana ornata will rank as one of the most attractive of the compact-growing, autumn-flowering gentians. It is easy of culture and is best grown in a trough or raised bed where attention to detail can be given regarding its need for a cool position and a freely drained substrate. It forms a neat mat with congested rosettes and, at flowering time the terminal flowers are pale blue, solitary and sessile. White flowering forms have also been noted in nature, most notably in the Gosainkund, C. Nepal although the species is also native to S. Tibet (S. Xizang), Bhutan, E. Nepal and Sikkim. In C. Nepal it can be found growing with the equally beautiful and perhaps more challenging Gentiana depressa.

Successful culture depends on it being given a cool position with good light, an acid well-drained growing medium and never allowed to dry out during the growing season. Well-flowered mats should produce some fertile seed and this provides the best means of propagation, but older mats can be lifted and divided during the spring before the rosettes break into growth. It associates nicely with some of the compact growing species of Cyananthus such as C. delavayi and macrocalyx ssp. spathulifolius.

The availability of the rarer gentian species is limited and enquiries should be made through the specialist alpine nurseries who advertise in the AGS and SRGC Bulletins.