This easy to grow perennial is called Closed Bottle Gentian because its upright, dark blue petals stay closed throughout its late summer, early Fall blooming season. Insistent bumblebees are one of the few pollinators that can get inside the flower for nectar and pollen distribution! Attractive bud-like flowers and foliage make this plant a wildflower garden favorite. Legend has it that the plant was named after Gentius, the King of Illyria around 500 BC, who discovered medicinal qualities of the roots. Herbalists today still use the plant for a variety of healing purposes.
