As this is a time of the year to begin promoting these marvellous gentians, I felt it would be useful to recommend one to contrast with my “plant of the month”, G. ‘Shot Silk’. Since it is now very challenging to source the true species, Gentian farreri which is one of the few members of this Ornatae Series that will tolerate a measure of alkalinity, I am delighted to recommend this cultivar. It was the late Alex Duguid, from whom my parents bought Edrom Nurseries in 1979 and he grew the type species for many years prior to my taking over the nursery. I obtained material from that famous nursery in the Cotswolds, Joe Elliott of Broadwell Nursery and grew the plant for several decades in a “hypertufa” trough.

The recommended cultivar has a good measure of G farreri blood in it, but the neat, compact nature and ability to bulk up readily suggests some influence from the closely related species, Gentiana ternifolia. This is purely speculative and not based on any scientific study. It has pale blue flowers (hence the contrast), lime-green foliage and compact trailing stems, rooting as they go along. It is very easily propagated and should prove to be a very popular cultivar with little challenge to the grower of these gentians.

A recently raised cultivar showing similar promise is one raised by Aberconwy Nursery: Gentiana farreri ‘Silken Star Group’.

Availability: Edrom Nurseries, www.edromnurseries.co.uk