Plant · P-892

Yellow Gentian

Gentiana lutea

Yellow Gentian is a large, upright perennial herb of mountain meadows, grown for a spike of whorled, bright yellow flowers held above deeply veined basal leaves and for one of the most bitter roots known in temperate herbalism. It grows slowly from seed, often taking several years to reach flowering size, reaching roughly two to three feet tall, and sends down a long, thick taproot that resents disturbance once established. It needs consistently moist to wet, well-drained, humus-rich sandy loam in the neutral to mildly alkaline range, does not tolerate drought, and performs best where summer nights stay cool, declining in hot, humid summer conditions. The dried root is the source of gentian bitters, long used to stimulate digestion and treat liver complaints, though it is contraindicated for anyone with a gastric or duodenal ulcer.