GENTIANA. Gentian. Worldwide, cooler regions. These are among the most beautiful of flowering perennials. They are variable in habit though often matting, with attractive, often shiny, dark green leaves. Their blossoms are trumpet or bell shaped, usually large relative to the plants, and colored bright true blue or purple to white. Though many are temperamental in cultivation, the following are easily grown and suitable for rock gardens and containers. Sun or light shade, well drained soil, regular watering. Hardy to 0^oF or below.

scabra var. procumbens (probably). A gentian popular in the Japanese potted plant trade and well at home in the rock graden. It is a bushy 6-10" plant, with relatively large leaves, covered in late summer and fall by 1½" upright bells, colored bright blue with some purple shading and white speckles in the throat.

septemfida. A trailing plant, with several 6" to 1½’ stems spreading spoke-like from the base. In summer and early fall the stems are tipped with large clusters of 2" bright true blue trumpets. It is easy to grow and flowers readily.

sino-ornata. This has always been one of my personal favorites, though we have been without it for several years. It is rhizomatous, forming loose carpets. The stems are slender and lined by many narrow bright green leaves, resembling those of Phlox subulata. At their tips for several weeks in summer are 2" trumpets of light to deep true-blue, with paler interiors.