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Loughmiller, Campbell and Lynn

Eustoma exaltatum ssp. russellianum (Hook) Kartesz, comb. nov. ined.

Bluebell, Prairie gentian, Showy prairie gentian, Texas bluebell, Texas bluebells

Gentianaceae (Gentian Family)

Synonyms: Eustoma grandiflorum, Eustoma grandiflorum, Eustoma russellianum

USDA Symbol: EUEXR

USDA Native Status: Native to U.S.

Both the leaves and erect, 1 1/2 ft. stems of prairie gentian are blue-green and covered with a waxy bloom. The extremely showy flowesr can be blue, purple, pink, white, or yellow. Bell-shaped and upright, the flowers occur singly at the ends of long stalks from short branches near the top of the plant.

This subspecies (formerly considered the species E. grandiflorum) is one of the handsomest prairie wildflowers. Eustoma, from the Greek eu (good) and stoma (mouth), refers to the large opening into the flowers throat where the corolla lobes join. The Japanese have been breeding Texas Bluebells for over 70 years. In Japan, this plant is known as Lisianthus, an older name for the Eustoma genus. It has been developed in pink, white, and deep purple blue color varieties with both single and doubled petaled flowers. One reason Texas Bluebells are not as common now as they once were is due to their beauty. People have literally picked them from the wild in such numbers that the wild populations have been unable to reseed in their native habitat.

 

From the Image Gallery

View herbarium specimen from Harry T. Cliffe Bexar Regional Herbarium.

Plant Characteristics

Duration: Annual
Habit: Herb
Leaf Retention: Deciduous
Size Class: 1-3 ft.

Bloom Information

Bloom Color: Blue
Bloom Time: Jun , Jul , Aug , Sep

Distribution

USA: AR , CO , KS , LA , MT , NE , NM , OK , SD , TX , WY
Native Distribution: NE to s.e. WY, s. to TX & Mex.
Native Habitat: Found in moist places in fields and prairies, especially in areas adjacent to streams and tanks.
USDA Native Status: L48(N)

Growing Conditions

Light Requirement: Sun
Soil Moisture: Moist
Soil Description: Moist, sandy or sandy loams.
Conditions Comments: The large flowers have an intense hue and keep blooming when many other plants are looking crispy and brown in the summer. The blue-gray foliage is almost succulent. Combined with Indian grass, bluebells looks great, especially in larger gardens.
texas comments: Texas bluebells large flowers have an intense hue and keep blooming when many other plants are looking crispy and brown in the summer. The blue-gray foliage is almost succulent. Combined with Indian grass, bluebells look great, especially in larger gardens.

Benefit

Conspicuous Flowers: yes
Interesting Foliage: yes
Deer Resistant: High

Propagation

Propagation Material: Seeds
Description: The seed is exceptionally small and somewhat difficult to germinate. The best results have come from surface seeding (since the seed requires light for germination) in flats at approximately 70 75 degrees. Field seeding can be done in spring or fall, however, spring germination usually results in the vegetative growth overwintering and not flowering until the second summer. Fall germination should produce flowers the first season.
Seed Collection: Collect seed in June, when seeds inside capsule are black.
Seed Treatment: The seed for E. grandiflorum is not commercially available, and thus, no large-scale seeding rates have been established. Note that the seed is exceedingly small one capsule can produce 1200 seedlings!
Commercially Avail: yes
Maintenance: When the seed capsule ripens (in September or October), the stalk should be cut back to 2 3 inches above the ground. By mid September, the base will develop a cluster of 8 to 10 new shoots. These will remain as a cluster of leaves throughout the winter and resume growth in the spring. Plants that overwinter are usually much stronger and have more flowers than they do the first year.

Find Seed or Plants

Order seed of this species from Native American Seed and help support the Wildflower Center.

From the National Organizations Directory

According to the species list provided by Affiliate Organizations, this plant is on display at the following locations:

Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center - Austin, TX

Additional resources

USDA: Find Eustoma exaltatum ssp. russellianum in USDA Plants
FNA: Find Eustoma exaltatum ssp. russellianum in the Flora of North America (if available)
Google: Search Google for Eustoma exaltatum ssp. russellianum

Metadata

Record Modified: 2008-02-06
Research By: TWC Staff, TMH

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