Cream Gentian (Gentiana alba)
Photo by Judith Kozminski
Cream Gentian usually reaches one to two feet in height, occasionally a bit taller in rich black‑soil prairie ground. The flowers are tubular, about an inch to an inch and a half long and roughly three‑quarters of an inch across. They are white to greenish‑white, sometimes yellowish‑white, with five pointed tips that stand erect at the mouth of the corolla.
The leaves are opposite and strongly clasp the stem. They are ovate to broadly lanceolate, sometimes nearly elliptic, and generally one to three inches long. The margins are smooth. A prominent midvein runs the length of each leaf, with two secondary veins that curve toward the margins.
Cream Gentian is most common in mesic to slightly dry prairies, including black‑soil prairies, and in open savannas. It also occurs in sandy oak openings, limestone glades, and rocky uplands. It grows in full sun to light shade and favors moist to average soils rather than consistently wet ground.
Sources:
Illinois Wildflowers
Flora of North America
USDA Plants Database
Prairie Moon Nursery
(SF)