Gentiana lutea

A perennial of the Gentianaceae family, the yellow gentian is found in the mountain ranges of central and southern Europe: Alps, Pyrenees, Apennines, Carpathians, Balkans. It occupies subalpine meadows, high-altitude pastures, and open moorlands, generally between 1,000 and 2,500 meters, on calcareous or mixed substrates, in full sunlight.

It is one of the most imposing mountain perennials in Europe: the flowering stem can exceed 1.5 meters, upright and robust, bearing opposite, oval-elliptical leaves with very marked parallel veins, of a characteristic glaucous green. The basal rosettes, visible all season, are immediately recognizable by these large veined leaves that superficially resemble those of Veratrum album, with which confusion has caused severe poisonings.

The flowers, bright yellow to sulfur yellow, are gathered in dense whorls at the axils of the upper leaves, with star-spread lobes, without a true tube, which is quite atypical in the genus. In its natural habitat, flowering extends from July to August.

The root has been used since antiquity in pharmacopoeia and in the production of bitter liqueurs. The plant is protected in several countries. In cultivation, it requires deep, well-drained, cool soil, and a sunny exposure; it is slow to establish and only flowers after several years.