I'm not quite sure where this thing popped up commercially (I think Jelitto sells it as 'Blue Herald'): I'm pretty sure what I have just came from a lot of my own seedlings of Gentiana paradoxa which all turned out to look intermediate with septemfida (they do bloom at the same time). They are not quite like either parent, and seem to be much more vigorous and thrive in quite deep shade (like these in the picture) as well as a lot of sun. Does anyone else have experience with this hybrid combo: is it as vigorous as it seems to be for me?
Seemed a pity that this poor Gentiana category had gone empty for so long: I abhor a vacuum almost as much as Nature does!
Comments
Re: Gentiana paradoxa x septemfida
Knowing very little about gentians, I have to ask... what gives it away as being a hybrid rather than G. paradoxa? The wider leaves?
This is supposed to be G. paradoxa... pardon the lousy photos. What do you think? The narrow leaves look sort of correct, no?
Re: Gentiana paradoxa x septemfida
Knowing very little about gentians, I have to ask... what gives it away as being a hybrid rather than G. paradoxa? The wider leaves?
This is supposed to be G. paradoxa... pardon the lousy photos. What do you think? The narrow leaves look sort of correct, no?
I once saw a photo of the real G. paradoxa, which confirmed for me the popular held belief the plant going around as G. paradoxa is indeed a hybrid, although a nice plant all the same. Here are two photos of my plant taken in 2001, it still grows in my dry allium bed that I don't water.
One that I lost after several years of brilliant blue sensation is Gentiana "Drake Strain". It eventually got shaded out by my hardy Hibiscus.
Re: Gentiana paradoxa x septemfida
Lori, yours looks like the real paradoxa. One of our members has it and the leaves are quite narrow like yours. The hybrids I've seen have shorter, broader foliage
Re: Gentiana paradoxa x septemfida
I second Todd's affirmation, Lori: you have the real thing.
I grow both, and both have their place. But true paradoxa is one of the greats. Treasure (and propagate it true!).
I tried to get the real paradoxa several times from the NARGS seed exchange...always end up with the hybrid. And yes, it is vigorous here too.