GENTIANA PORPHYRIO 
One of our most beautiful native plants and pro¬ 
bably the handsomest gentian is our cover design 
this year. The flowers are more than an inch across 
and are the true ''gentian blue" with markings of 
yellow and green in the throat. They grow from 
eight to twelve inches tall, blooming from September 
to November. If given a sandy, well drained, acid 
soil the large, fleshy roots will soon become estab¬ 
lished and a permanent perennial will result. A 
mulch of pine needles is beneficial; 
