Taxonomy

Division:

Magnoliophyta | - Flowering plants

Family:

Gentianaceae

Genus:

Obolaria

Species:

Obolaria virginica

USDA Symbol:

OBVI

Growth Characteristics

Life Cycle:

Perennial

Growth Habit:

Forb/herb

Height:

15 cm

Light Requirements:

Part Shade

Drought Tolerance:

Low

Bloom Months:

mar,apr,may

Bloom Colors:

white, purple

Wildlife Benefits

Bees:

★☆☆☆☆ Documented bee visitation (GBIF)

Garden & Ecology Notes

Wildlife Value:

bees

Deer Resistant:

Yes

Soil Requirements

Soil Type:

rich, well-drained loamy soil

pH:

5.5 - 7.0 (slightly acidic to neutral)

Drainage:

excellent drainage required

Moisture:

consistently moist

Notes:

prefers shaded woodland areas

Propagation & Germination

Stratification:

Cold/moist stratification required — 60–90 days

Notes:

Partially mycoheterotrophic; difficult to cultivate from seed due to dependency on mycorrhizal fungi. Seeds are dust-like and require specific fungal associations.

The above propagation data sourced from Claude AI