Gentiana verna - Spring Gentian - (Gentianaceae)

Hidden among the short grass on stony hillsides and mountains, spring gentians often go unnoticed, but when you do find them they stop you in your tracks with their startling deep blue flowers. The flowers are typically 15 to 20 mm across and 20 to 25 mm long.

Spring Gentians in The Burren

Spring Gentian and Early Purple Orchid - Orchis mascula photographed in The Burren.

These lovely perennial wild flowers prefer lime-free soil. They flower from April until June, and they are rare and should not be picked. They can be found in The Burren in County Clare in Ireland and also in a few places in Upper Teesdale in the UK. They can also be found in several European countries, including Austria, Slovenia and Switzerland.

Closeup picture of Spring Gentians

Other gentians include the field gentian, Gentianella campestris, which flowers from July until October in lowland gassy areas and on dunes, and the marsh gentian, Gentiana pneumonanthe.

The photographs on this page were taken in The Burren in May.