FNPS Plant Database

Gentiana saponaria

soapwort gentian

PHOTOS COMING SOON!

Nomenclature

Common Name:

soapwort gentian

Synonym(s):

Genus species:

Gentiana saponaria

Family:

Gentianaceae

Plant Specifics

Form:

flower

Size:

1-2 ft

Life Span:

Long-lived perennial

Flower Color:

blue,purple

Fruit Color:

NA

Phenology:

winter dormant

Noted For:

Showy Flowers

Landscaping

Recommended Uses:

Garden flower for wet sites. Blooms in late summer-early fall.

Considerations:

Availability:

Friends

Propagation:

Typically transplanted (don't harvest from the wild!). Difficult to grow from seed.

Light:

Full Sun, Part Sun

Moisture Tolerance:

Always Flooded------------------------------------------------Extremely Dry

Coming Soon!

Usually moist, occasional inundation ---to--- Somewhat moist, no flooding

Salt Water Flooding Tolerance:

Unknown

Salt Spray/Salty Soil Tolerance:

Low/no tolerance of salty wind or direct salt spray

Soil or Other Substrate:

Sand, Loam

Soil pH:

Acidic

Suitable to Grow In:

8A,8B

USDA zones are based on the average annual extreme minimum winter temperature.



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Ecology

Wildlife:

Pollinators

Bumblebees are an important pollinator for this species.  Small beetles feed on the pollen.

Native Habitats:

Moist woods, stream banks, moist roadsides.

Natural Range in Florida:

Comments:

Ethnobotany:

General Comments:

The range of this plant barely makes it into Florida and only 2 locations have been documented.  It is not rare in states to the north.

Citations:

https://www.illinoiswildflowers.info/prairie/plantx/soap_gentianx.htm



NCSU.  https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/gentiana-saponaria/



USF ISB.  https://florida.plantatlas.usf.edu/Plant.aspx?id=3424

Wunderlin, R. P., B. F. Hansen, A. R. Franck, and F. B. Essig. 2021. Atlas of Florida Plants (http://florida.plantatlas.usf.edu/). Institute for Systematic Botany, University of South Florida, Tampa.

Wikipedia.  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gentiana_saponaria#:~:text=Description,flowers are pollinated by bumblebees.

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