Gentiana alba

Native

Moist. Meadows, prairies, open woods.

Late August to early October

Yellowish-white or greenish-white

2′ to 3′

This is a 2′ to 3′ tall, stout, hairless, erect to drooping perennial. It is rarely branched.

The leaves along the stem are opposite, yellowish-green or olive green, and are attached directly to the stem, without a leaf stalk. The three uppermost leaves, just below the inflorescence, are whorled.

The inflorescence is 2 to 7 flowers emerging from the axils of the uppermost three leaves.

The flowers are tubular-shaped with a small opening at the top and irregular folds between the petals.

Great Lakes gentian (Gentiana rubricaulis) is the only other whitish gentian found in Minnesota. The flower is white with scattered blue spots.

Bottle gentian (Gentiana andrewsii) has flowers that are whitish below, blue upwards. The leaves have a marginal fringe of hairs.