Habitat: partial shade, not too dry
Soil: best with some humus
Height: 80 cm
Flowering: late summer to early autumn
Width: 25 cm
The willow gentian is an excellent perennial, soon forming a clump of upright leafy stems, with a pair of flowers from each leaf axil. The standard form has tubular blue flowers, but we also offer some variations on the theme. The colour forms usually come true from seed.
Gentiana asclepiadea 'Knightshayes' is a strain with quite different flowers from the type, widely flared open, shaped like those of most of the small autumn gentians, and an equally good blue colour.
9 cm pot £3.50
| Gentiana asclepiadea is the most common form, in which the tubular, bright blue flowers are not widely flared at the end, unlike in 'Knightshayes'. |