Gentian, Tibetan

Sow indoors anytime from early spring, or outdoors once the soil has warmed up. Scatter seeds on the surface and press into the soil; do not cover with soil as the seed requires light to germinate. In our experience, it usually takes 2-3 weeks to germinate, but it can take longer depending on conditions.

Tibetan gentian is a slow-grower, especially in the first year, so we recommend sowing it into weed-free compost to prevent it from getting swamped by faster growing plants. It is also sensitive to waterlogging, so be mindful not to over-water. Using a well-draining compost, either by adding sand or perlite, can help.

Transplant into larger pots once the seedlings have grown their second set of true leaves; keep them growing in a sheltered place, still being mindful not to overwater, and plant out into their final position once they have reached around 6 inches in height.

Like all the gentians used in various herbal medicine traditions around the world, G. tibetica has the characteristic bitter alkaloid gentianine as well as iridoids. Its used as one of the species of Qin Jiao in Traditional Chinese Herbal Medicine (G. macrophyllae being most commonly used). Its in the ‘wind-damp and pain dispelling’ category, being used where there is torpor and stagnation in the joints. Its acrid taste and cooling nature is said to dissipate swelling with heat helping to remove stiff joints and muscles – especially when related to changes in the weather. The long understood relationship of Gentiana species with the digestion and liver makes this a useful bitter tonic.

If you are lucky enough to have built up a little patch then you can harvest the roots in the autumn of the third year. Trim the aerial parts, scrub the root clean and slice and dry at 40C for 12-16 hours.

Or pop the whole root in a bottle of brandy, add a dandelion root and/or a little artichoke leaf with some fresh fennel seeds. Leave infusing for at least a month and you have a marvellous digestif bitter tonic at hand.