Summary ²

Gentiana alba (called plain, pale, white, cream, or yellow gentian) is a herbaceous species of flowering plant in the Gentian family Gentianaceae, producing yellowish-white colored flowers from thick white taproots. It is native to North America from Manitoba through Ontario in the north, south to Oklahoma, Arkansas and North Carolina, and it is listed as rare, endangered, threatened or extirpated in parts of this range.

Description ³

Family:
Gentianaceae (Gentian)

Height:
1 to 3 feet

Leaves:
Opposite and lance-shaped, no teeth, glossy, with 3 veins

Flower:
Cream colored tubular flowers form a cluster at the top of plant and in leaf axils

Bloom time:
August-October

Nicknames:
May also go by Latin name Gentiana alba
Pale Gentian, Yellow Gentian, Plain Gentian, White Gentian

Habitat:
Open woods, meadows

Wildlife Benefits:
Flowers are attractive to bumblebees, who pry open the flowers.

Can I plant this in my garden?
Plant in full sun to part shade in moist soils.

References:
https://www.minnesotawildflowers.info/flower/yellow-gentian
https://www.illinoiswildflowers.info/savanna/plants/cr_gentian.htm

Range ³

Sources and Credits

1. (c) Ramsey-Washington Metro Watershed District, all rights reserved, uploaded by Ramsey-Washington Metro Watershed District
2. Adapted by Ramsey-Washington Metro Watershed District from a work by (c) Wikipedia, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA), https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gentiana_alba
3. (c) Ramsey-Washington Metro Watershed District, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA)

More Info

• iNat taxon page
• Biodiversity Heritage Library
• BOLD Systems BIN search
• eFloras.org
• Flora of North America (beta)
• Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF)
• HOSTS - a Database of the World's Lepidopteran Hostplants
• IPNI (with links to POWO, WFO, and BHL)
• NatureServe Explorer 2.0
• SEINet Symbiota portals
• Tropicos
• USDA PLANTS database
• VASCAN by Canadensys
• World Flora Online

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