Gentiana Crystal Ashiro®

The 'Crystal Ashiro' Gentian is a deciduous and very hardy variety of gentian, of relatively small size. Its very pretty flowers, upright trumpets, are white with light blue stripes and speckled with blue on the white parts. They bloom in mid-summer on a compact tuft of shiny green foliage. This variety will thrive in a cool rock garden in the morning sun or in partially shaded flower beds with moist soil.

The 'Crystal Ashiro' Gentian is part of the Ashiro series, which includes compact and colorful hybrids developed by Dr. Hikage in Japan. It belongs to the Gentianaceae family. It is a perennial cushion plant, slightly spreading, with deciduous or semi-evergreen foliage. Its lanceolate leaves are slightly pointed, rough, measuring about 4 to 6 cm long, a beautiful dark green color, with occasionally a bluish-violet tint at the tips. Slow-growing, it does not exceed 30 cm in all directions. Between July and September, numerous large solitary flowers in the form of wide trumpets bloom on very short stems, facing upwards. They open at the axils of the leaves or in terminal clusters, nearly hiding the foliage. They fully open only in very bright light. Each flower has a corolla composed of 5 lobes with a prominent and slightly curved central zone, white in color with light blue stripes along the edge of each petal. The white parts are also speckled with blue. This gentian develops a main root that goes deep into the soil and does not appreciate being disturbed.

This hybrid gentian 'Crystal Ashiro' is an alpine plant and may seem delicate to grow. It is actually robust and low-maintenance as long as the soil and exposure conditions are suitable. This mountain plant does not tolerate hot climates or more or less dry, limestone, and/or poorly drained soils. Place it in a cool, acidic, well-drained, fertile soil. It thrives in rocky, sunny but not too hot spaces, or partially shaded areas, where it can establish deep roots. Plant it in a rock garden, on a slope, at the edge of flower beds, or in a pot. Pair 'Crystal Ashiro' with other alpine plants, dwarf conifers, and bulbs such as Botanical Tulips, Crocuses, and Snowdrops. In partially shaded flower beds, combine it with Corydalis, Heucheras, and Brunneras. In pots, provide the same growing conditions.

The term Gentiana refers to Gentius, king of Illyria (present-day Albania) in the 2nd century BC, who, according to Pliny the Elder, discovered the medicinal and healing properties of the root of the Yellow Gentian.