wetland wildflower

Closed bottle gentian

Gentiana andrewsii

Also known as Closed Gentian, Bottle Gentian

Native to much of the USA and southern Canada

Western Quebec to Manitoba, south to New Jersey, Ohio, Kentucky, northern Arkansas and north-central Colorado

In the garden

A wetland wildflower for part to full shade and consistently moist to wet soil. Its white flowers peak in September. Hardy in USDA zones 3–8.

Light

Full sun Partial shade Full shade

Moisture

Dry Moist Wet

Find your zone:

The Closed bottle gentian's white flowers bloom August to October, peaking in September. This early-fall display draws bees and flower flies.

Closed bottle gentian blooms white, blue & purpleFoliage

Bees Common Eastern Bumble Bee

also American Bumble Bee, Bombus fervidus, Red-belted Bumble Bee +10 more
Black-and-gold Bumble Bee, Half-black Bumble Bee, Northern Amber Bumble Bee, Orange-tipped Wood-digger, Dark-winged Sweat Bee, Colletes nudus, Lasioglossum cinctipes, white-winged sweat bee, Pseudopanurgus labrosiformis, Pseudopanurgus passiflorae
Flower flies Common Flower Fly

also Volucella bombylans, Dusky-banded Leafwalker, Bombylius atriceps +3 more
Volucella vesiculosa, Two-spotted Leafwalker, Flea Bee-fly
Butterflies Viceroy also Thecla edwardsi

Documented host and nectar records. Each links to a planting guide for that butterfly.

Habitat: WetlandThe wild plant community it grows in.
Native range: Much of the USA and southern CanadaUnited States (25): CO, CT, DE, IA, IL, IN, KY, MA, MD, MI, MN, MO, ND, NE, NH, NJ, NY, OH, PA, RI, SD, VA, VT, WI, WV. Canada (3): MB, ON, QC. Where it grows wild on its own, by state and province.
Native distribution: Western Quebec to Manitoba, south to New Jersey, Ohio, Kentucky, northern Arkansas and north-central ColoradoThe same native range, usually more exact than the state list, and often noting where it has spread beyond it.

Light: Part shade to shadeHow much sun it takes, from full sun to full shade.
Moisture: Moist to wetThe soil dampness it prefers, from dry to wet.
Hardiness zones: USDA 3–8 · Canadian 3–7The cold-to-heat climate range it survives.
Soil: Humus-rich, slightly acidic, sandy loam. Tolerant of limeThe soils it grows in naturally.
Soil texture: Light to heavy (sandy to clay)The soil grade it prefers, from sand to clay.
Soil pH: 5.8–7.2The acidity to alkalinity it tolerates (7 is neutral).
Soil quality: HighHow rich a soil it needs. Many natives prefer lean soil and flop in rich beds.
Water use: Medium to highHow thirsty it is, a rough guide to how often to water.
Salinity tolerance: NoneHow well it copes with salty soil, near roads or the coast.
Lime (CaCO₃) tolerance: LowHow well it copes with chalky, lime-rich soil.

Spread: ~1 ft (0.3 m)How wide one plant gets, a guide to spacing.
Life cycle: PerennialWhether it lives a single season (annual), two (biennial), or returns for years (perennial).
Growth rate: ModerateA relative ranking versus other plants of the same type (USDA), not an absolute rate.
Shape: ErectIts overall silhouette.
Root depth: 6+ in (15+ cm)How far the roots reach, a guide to drought resilience and transplanting.

Cold stratification: Not requiredWhether seed needs a cold, moist spell before it will germinate.
Propagation: SeedHow to start new plants.
Seed: ~9 million seeds per poundNotes on the seed and how to sow it.
Seed spread rate: ModerateHow readily it self-sows. Slow or none means well-behaved, not a spreader.
Seedling vigor: LowHow strongly young seedlings establish.
Vegetative spread: NoneWhether it creeps outward or stays put in a clump.