Bottle Gentian

Gentiana andrewsii is an unique and amazing flower! The petals never open! Bottle gentians grow 1 to 2 feet high, staying far below and even overlooked compared to the taller flowers of early autumn. Spectacular displays from evening primrose and giant sunflowers might first draw your attention August through September. Yet, should you find yourself near moist, well-drained soils on the edges of fields, marshes and thickets, let your eyes drift downward to the lower foliage until you spy some bursts of purple that might be peeking beneath these taller plants. If you find them, they will surely retain your lingering attention. With gorgeous closed blooms, bottle gentian flowers resemble large buds (or bottles) because they never open. They seem to hint at something more to come and yet are completely sufficient just the way they are.

Look for shiny leaves that grow bigger the higher they ascend the stem, ending in a whorl of leaves beneath the flower cluster.

The root has a long history of use for its herbal, bitter qualities for a variety of ailments.