Nepalese gentian

[Tristan_He]

My friend also took a picture of this stunning gentian, also in Nepal above the treeline. Unfortunately the seed capsule he brought home was not ripe. 

Would be interested to know what it is so I can look out for it elsewhere...

[Lesley Cox]

It's a bit hard to tell for sure as the foliage is not easy to see but I'm reasonably sure that it is Gentiana depressa. If so, I can tell you it is easy to grow (here). It flowers well for me (paler than in your picture) but I've only once had seed on it, maybe 6 or 8 years ago. That germinated VERY well but I lost the lot when they were pricked out Having said that, it is easy from cuttings taken in mid spring or after autumn flowering and if you would like some I could send them to you in October when I do mine (your autumn).

[Anthony Darby]

Not some thing that would grow in Auckland, I suspect.

[Maggi Young]

I think it's Gentiana depressa .  SOME people grow this well - Lesley in New Zealand,  a couple of folks in Ireland, maybe one or two in mainland UK - but it's a difficult little plant. VERY beautiful and possible to keep growing but very hard to  flower well. 

[Tristan_He]

I wondered about this one too, on the entirely unscientific basis of it looking like the photo in Jim Jermyn's book. But there are a lot of gentians in the Himalayas.

Here is another photo which shows the foliage reasonably well. It's a bit battered though!

[Lesley Cox]

The foliage when growing well (tightly) tends to be in square rosettes, showing its relationship to the much rarer and more difficult G. urnula or G. amoena which I also had once (the latter, not the former). Its flowers were similar but violet rather than blue. Maggi, after a couple of years' brilliant blooming, mine went back in that respect until I tried Ian's bulb remedy, potassium sulphate after flowering and at  the beginning of the pre-budding period. Worked a treat. My main plant has been in the same trough for about 8 years now and no other fertilizer has been added since the initial planting.

The photo below shows the foliage clearly but looser than usual due to being under cover. Normally I grow it outside at all times. But these rosettes are perfect (longish-stemmed) as cutting material.