Botanical Name: Gentiana lutea | Family: Gentianaceae
Common name(s): Gentian, Yellow Gentian
GROWING
- Perennial | Zones 3-9 | 3-4+ feet tall | Yellow flowers grow in whorls in the uppermost leaves, bloom in summer/autumn.
- Full sun/partial shade, protected from wind | Loamy, moist soil
HARVESTING
Harvest root in the fall and dry. The best roots for medicine are the years before the plant produces flowers, which can take up to 3 years.
PREPARATION / DOSAGE
Decoction: Put 1/2 – 1 tsp shredded root in 1 cup of water. Bring to boil and simmer for 5 minutes. Drink, warm, 15-30 minutes before meals or when experiencing stomach pains from overeating.
Tincture: 1-4 ml 3x/day (as for decoction), or take as drops to stave off cravings for sweets
MEDICAL
Constituents: Bitter principles, mucilage, pectin, sugar, tannin
Actions: Anti-inflammatory, bitter, cholagogue, gastric stimulant, sialogogue
Uses: appetite/digestive stimulant, dyspepsia, flatulence, jaundice
CHARACTERISTICS
- Very bitter, cold, astringent, drying
SOURCES
- A Modern Herbal, Mrs. M. Grieve
- Holistic Herbal, David Hoffman
- The Complete Medicinal Herbal, Penelope Ody
- Gardeners HQ
- photo credit: michel-candel gentiana lutea – grande gentiane – vallée d’EYNE (66)BIS via photopin (license)
It appears Gentian is not all that easy to grow. Given that I am all about wild gardening – I plant ’em, then they are on their own – I don’t think I’ll be growing this plant anytime soon. Also, this plant has been over-harvested in the wild so I will be sure to only buy root from cultivated plants, should I want to add it to my herbal closet.
