Sabatia kennedyana

Plymouth Rose Gentian is a perennial that occurs in wetlands. This low-growing plant blooms
through summer and has pink radial shaped flowers which fade to white towards the middle, then
yellow, surrounding a green disc. Flowers can have eleven or more petals. Seed pods start green
then turn brown, containing lots of tiny seeds, and they burst when they reach maturity. This
shoots the seeds out where they can rest on the ground, often trampled by wild pond-dwelling
animals, allowing contact with the soil which is necessary for germination. The stems and
flowers may fade through fall into winter, but an evergreen basal rosette persists, giving interest
year-round. This plant thrives in wet areas tat many other plants cannot grow, but it is not very
competitive. This makes it imperative to keep areas well-weeded so that they can thrive.
Plymouth Rose Gentian is a protected species with threatened status, due to poaching of wild
plants and habitat loss.