Mountain Gentians 2021-22

Early October, 2021 I was about to visit the largest site of Georgia's dwindling population of this species when I got some bad news. The property, which had been for sale for several years, had been sold, and the Gentian site had been bulldozed for a house! Not only that, but the next largest remaining site had been cut by BRM EMC's maintenance crews. Years of experience have revealed that this species, a biennial, is extremely difficult to re-establish, due to its very specific growing needs.

Bulldozed Fringed Gentian site I later talked with the new property owner, and he had no idea that the Gentians grew on the property. The previous owner never said a word about the rare plants that grew here.

A few days later, I found a few flowering plants in the vicinity. With a drizzly overcast sky, the flowers weren't open.

Fringed Gentian (Gentianopsis crinita)

Fringed Gentian plant

Pair of Fringed Gentian flowers

A few days later, clearer conditions allowed the flowers to open more

Still partly cloudy, so they weren't fully open

Cluster of Gentianopsis crinita



Now that's more like it!
Early October, 2022 The news only got worse in 2022. I surveyed all known Gentianopsis occurrences (past & present) in Georgia, and only found one property with plants extant. Poor ROW maintenance practices (cutting & herbicide spraying) and utility work contributed to destruction of the other sites. We (GPCA) are working with the landowner to try to save this population.

Fringed Gentian (Gentianopsis crinita)

A nice pair of flowers



Bee on Fringed Gentian

Fringed Gentians in habitat Some are hard to see in this reduced image, but each circle marks a flowering Gentianopsis plant.



Fringed Gentians (Gentianopsis crinita)

Brasstown U-Mafic Index	Natural Environments
NE GA - NC Index	SE USA Index