The gentian bush is not hardy, more precisely, it cannot tolerate frost at all. You should consider this before purchasing. Since a gentian tree can grow very large, you need a lot of space to accommodate it over the winter.
Is the gentian bush hardy?
The gentian bush is not hardy and cannot tolerate frost. To protect it from sub-zero temperatures, it should be dug up before winter and overwintered in a bucket in a frost-free, bright place.
Gentian bushes are not hardy
In their homeland in South America, the blue or white-flowering ornamental plants grow in warmth and plenty of light. They are not used to frost and freeze to death in sub-zero temperatures.
This presents the hobby gardener with a major problem in the cold season. The trees can grow up to four meters high outdoors. In the bucket they can easily grow to two meters in good conditions.
In order to overwinter the ornamental plant, you need a lot of space in a place that is absolutely frost-free. It doesn't necessarily have to be bright. However, when it gets dark, the evergreen plant sheds all of its leaves. It then takes much longer until the next flowering.
Protecting gentian bushes in the garden from frost
A gentian tree can be kept very well directly in the garden bed in warm temperatures. There it gets enough light and is well supplied with nutrients.
Since the shrub is not hardy, you have to dig it up in the fall and put it in a pot. Then place it in a room where it has enough space.
Do not overwinter the gentian tree in a pot outdoors
The gentian tree as a standard tree is also not hardy. You must not leave it outside in sub-zero temperatures.
The bucket must be brought into the house at the latest when the outside temperature is around seven degrees.
High-stem gentian bush overwintering
The standard tree presents you with a problem. Either you cut it into shape so that it has enough space in the winter quarters, or you leave all the shoots untrimmed, but then you need a larger footprint.
The more you cut the tree before overwintering, the fewer flowers the gentian bush will develop next year. If you let the shoots grow, the flowers will be much more abundant.
Tips & Tricks
All parts of the gentian tree are poisonous. Plant juices in particular can seriously injure the skin. Therefore, always wear gloves when caring for the gentian bush.
