Closed Red Gentian
Gentiana rubricaulis
A northern closed gentian with reddish stems and pale blue-white flowers clustered at the top, the petals fused shut so only a determined bumblebee can force an entry. A plant of calcareous fens and Great Lakes shorelines; wants moist, neutral to alkaline ground.
- Family
- Gentianaceae
- Type
- wildflower
- Lifespan
- perennial
- Height
- 1–2.5 ft
- Spacing
- 0.5–1.2 ft apart
- Light
- sun, part shade
- Soil moisture
- moist
- Soil pH
- neutral
- Bloom
- August
- Bloom colors
- purple
- Wildlife value
- pollinators
- Landscape uses
- rain garden, naturalizing
- Native states
- ME, MI, MN, VT, WI
Related native plants
More Gentiana species
- Bottle Gentian (Gentiana andrewsii)
- Plain Gentian (Gentiana alba)
- Meadow Bottle Gentian (Gentiana clausa)
- Narrow-leaved Gentian (Gentiana linearis)
- Soapwort Gentian (Gentiana saponaria)