Gentiana makinoi White Magic

The 'White Magic' Gentian is a new variety of gentian that is both floriferous and compact, and easy to grow in any moist soil. It is distinguished above all by its long white flowering period. This perennial forms a small clump with rich, bright green foliage and bears flowers that resemble white tulips, which are large considering its small size. If the faded flowers are carefully removed, it is capable of flowering until October. This gentian will create a charming display in a border or in a pretty pot on the terrace. The cut flowers last up to 2 weeks in a vase.

The 'White Magic' Gentian is a recent Dutch horticultural creation. It actually originated as a mutation on a stem of a 'Blue magic' gentian plant in 2008. Like all gentians, it belongs to the Gentianaceae family. Its ancestor, Gentiana makinoi, is a Japanese botanical species native to the high mountains of Honshu, where it grows in wet areas.

It is a deciduous perennial, with above-ground vegetation disappearing in winter. Forming an upright and dense clump, this dwarf and bushy variety is adorned with beautiful lanceolate leaves, shiny, measuring about 2.8 cm (1in) long and 1.6 cm (1in) wide, a beautiful bright green colour, with a lighter central vein. It grows quite rapidly, reaching about 30 cm (12in) in height when flowering, 16 cm (6in) for the foliage, and 18 cm (0 and 7in) wide. From late May to September-October, numerous and large flowers, 5 cm (2in) in length and 2 cm (1in) in diameter, in the form of trumpets, stand upright along the length of the stems. They bloom in the axils of the leaves and in terminal clusters, in groups of 3, in pairs, or individually. They emit a light cinnamon fragrance. Each flower has a corolla that widens into 5 slightly shiny lobes, white washed with cream and green at the base. No seed production has been observed in cultivation trials in the Netherlands.

The 'White Magic' gentian is a relatively easy perennial to grow, as it will tolerate a good, well-drained garden soil, even slightly alkaline. In the ground, it is ideally placed in soil enriched with compost, which remains moist and well-drained, on a wall, in a rockery, on a slope, in border plantings, or in a trough, in a mountain garden. It prefers sunny spaces that are not too hot, or partially shade, where it can establish deep roots. This gentian can be combined, in a border or rockery, with snowdrops, botanical tulips, crocuses, Lewisia, dwarf conifers, corydalis, or even heucheras. It can be grown in pots without difficulty, following the same growing conditions.

The term Gentiana refers to Gentius, the king of Illyria (now Albania) in the 2nd century BC, who, according to Pliny the Elder, discovered the medicinal and healing properties of the yellow gentian root.