Taller gentians

Upright to arching leafy stems, reaching between 40 and 100cm, carry flowers in shades of blue, purple, or white. However, the great yellow gentian, Gentiana lutea, reaches 1.5m and has whorls of yellow blooms. Generally, they flower in late summer, though G. scabra flowers from spring into early autumn.

These taller gentians thrive in cool, moist but free-draining, humus-rich soils with shade in the hottest part of the day. All except G. lutea need acidic soil.

They dislike both dry and waterlogged soils, and extreme heat.

An extract from the roots of G. lutea is used in herbal medicine, as a bitter in aperitifs, and in the US drink Moxie, one of the oldest soft drinks on the market.