Gentiana Lutea seed

LATIN NAME: GENTIANA LUTEA

COMMON NAME: Yellow Gentian

The yellow gentian bitters the stout, upright stems with the bold, ribbed, green leaves and the tall, dense clusters of the star-shaped, bright-yellow flowers that open through the summer, the whole plant rising like the golden candelabra above the alpine meadows. The plant grows from the thick, bitter root, and it stands the cold mountain weather well. It likes the sun, and the deep, moist, well-drained soil.

Scientific Research & Plant Biotechnology

In the gentian family, the yellow gentian holds a long, honoured record in the studies of the bitter medicinal roots, and the species appears in the research on the bitter compounds and the high-meadow growth. The pharmacologists value the digestive preparations, while the distillers note the bitter aperitifs. The seed biology fills out the picture, and the growers of the alpine medicinal plants keep the species in their catalogues.

Ecological & Economic Value & Wide Applications

In the cool garden, the yellow gentian bitters the tonics and goldens the summer. The golden candelabra bloom feeds the bees, the bitter roots have flavoured the aperitifs, the tonics and the traditional preparations for the ages, and the plant stands the cold well. It grows in the deep, moist, well-drained, sunny ground. Stately, bitter and high-country generous.

To grow the Yellow Gentian from seed,

Sow the seeds over the fine, sandy surface of the cool flat, then press them in gently, keep the flat in the cool, bright spot and water gently

Keep the flat cool and just damp, and leave the seedlings to grow slowly through the first year. The golden clusters come after a few seasons.

. The seedlings surface within a few weeks, and they grow on slowly. Plant the young plants in the sunny, deep, well-drained ground, and the golden clusters will bitter the summers over the years.

Gentiana lutea
‘Great Yellow Gentian’
Gentianaceae
USES:
The root is sometimes used in the manufacture of gentian bitters. The root contains sugar and mucilage. The root was occasionally used as a flavouring in beer before the use of hops (Humulus lupulus) became widespread. Its unique flavour is attributed to that fact. It is also used in France to produce a Limousin specialty liqueur and aperitif, with plants gathered from the Auvergne area.
Gentian root has a long history of use as an herbal bitter in the treatment of digestive disorders and is an ingredient of many proprietary medicines. It contains some of the most bitter compounds known and is used as a scientific basis for measuring bitterness. The root has anthelmintic, anti-inflammatory, antiseptic, bitter tonic, cholagogue, and emmenagogue, febrifuge, refrigerant and stomachic properties.
GROWING INFORMATION:
These seeds are cold-germinator. The sowing must be kept warm (about +18 to +22°C) [about 64 to 72°F] and moist for the first 2–4 weeks. After this period the sowing must be kept at a cold temperature (between –4 and +4°C) [between 25 and 39°F] for another 4–6 weeks. Seed quickly loses its viability when stored for longer than a year or so.
In general, gentians require a moist well-drained soil in a sheltered position, a certain minimum of atmospheric humidity, high light intensity but a site where temperatures are not too high. A slow-growing plant, it takes many years to reach its full stature. A moisture loving plant, growing well by water,