- Binomial name: Gentiana calycosa
- Soil type: Moist to wet
- Sunlight: Full sun to partial shade
- Plant type: Perennial wildflower
- Foliage: Opposite leaves, broadly lance-shaped
- Flower: Blue to purple
Dressing subalpine streamsides throughout western North America, Mountain Bog Gentian boasts a beautiful blue to purplish wildflower through late summer and early autumn. Known for their love of wet soil, the genus Gentiana includes over 400 species of plants.
Mountain Bog Gentian is fond of the high-country, and can be found growing from 4,000ft to as high as 13,000ft in elevation. The genus name comes from an Illyrian king named Gentius, who is said to have discovered the plant’s medicinal benefits over 2,000 years ago.
To visit this striking species in the wild, hike the Wonderland Trail to Indian Bar and the Ohanapecosh River on the east side of Mount Rainier National Park.
This Native Plant of the Month is brought to you by the City of Beaverton’s Landscape and Urban Forestry Department. Visit Clean Water Service’s Native Plant Finder webpage for interactive questions to help you find the right native plant to fit your needs!