Big Perennial Blue-Flowered Meconopsis (Papaveraceae)

TRIAL REPORT

2010-2013

Big Perennial Blue-Flowered Meconopsis (Papaveraceae)

Andrew Mcseveney, Trials Office The Royal Horticultural Society Garden, Wisley, Woking, Surrey, GU23 6QB

Final Report for Trial No. 1888 – Meconopsis, Big Perennial Blue –Flowered 2010- 2013

RHS BIG PERENNIAL BLUE POPPY TRIAL, HARLOW CARR

TRIAL OF BIG PERENNIAL BLUE POPPIES (Meconopsis)

FOR THE AWARD OF GARDEN MERIT Dr Christopher Grey-Wilson (Chairman, Joint Rock Garden Plant Committee) and Dr Evelyn Stevens (on behalf of The Meconopsis Group).

Trials by the RHS have been held traditionally on the Trials Field at Wisley and most of them

still are. This would have been an unfortunate site to carry out a trial of the big perennial blue

poppies (Meconopsis) as the dry, warm climate undoubtedly would have meant they would

probably not have survived, let alone be given Awards of Garden Merit. Therefore it was

pleasing when the RHS decided to carry out this trial and to hold it at its most northerly

garden, Harlow Carr, in Yorkshire. The trial was set up in 2010 and at its meeting in June 2013

the trial panel decided to give the Award of Garden Merit to ten cultivars. The award to the

one and only cultivar already having the award was reconfirmed. This award, the highest

accolade to a plant made by the RHS, indicates that it has been judged by an appropriate

committee to be of outstanding excellence in the garden. Criteria include distinctiveness, ease

of cultivation, hardiness, reliability and floriferousness.

BACKGROUND TO THE TRIAL

Investigations prior to 1998 indicated that there existed considerable confusion in the correct

identity of many of the big perennial blue poppies (Meconopsis) found growing in British

gardens, especially in Scotland, Ireland and the north of England. With the prime aim of sorting

this out, a study group, The Meconopsis Group, was founded, with its first meeting at the Royal

Botanic Garden Edinburgh in September 1998. The RBGE has been very supportive of the

Group’s activities ever since. People known to be interested in the genus were invited to join the

Group, and, if possible, to donate plants for an Identification Trial. Many plants were received

and these were planted out, as far as possible, like with like, in a bed in the RBGE’s nursery

so that they could be compared morphologically. On this basis, and also taking into

consideration provenance and historical details (as far as known), the process of identifying

and naming the different plants was begun. Several people with a particular knowledge of

the genus were invited to serve on identification and naming committee. The conclusions

reached by the committee are then put before the membership at The Meconopsis Group

meetings for approval.

Most of the big perennial blue poppies in cultivation were found to be sterile clones and therefore it

seemed possible and worthwhile to do this work. All the plants were given holding numbers,

MG1, 2, 3 etc. Some of the clones were quite readily and quickly identified. After careful

observation over a number of years, others were recognised as distinct and many have been

given formal cultivar names by The Meconopsis Group.

Two views of the trial at Harlow Carr


Part of the duplicate trial photographed at Holehird Garden

The remainder are still only known by their MG numbers. Hopefully, some of these will be named

in the not-too-distant future.

CLASSIFICATION OF THE PLANTS In order to help with identifying and naming the big perennial blue poppy cultivars, three Groups

were established. Each cultivar was to be assigned to a Group (A, B, C below) based on its

phenotypic characteristics. However, it was soon found that some do not readily fit into one of

these Groups and these are classified under D below (“Stand-alone” cultivars) and there are also

species’ cultivars, in this instance Meconopsis grandis cultivars (E).

A George Sherriff Group

B Infertile Blue Group

C Fertile Blue Group

D “Stand-alone” cultivars (Note: this category is not an established Group*)

E Meconopsis grandis cultivars

A Group is a formal category denoting an assemblage of cultivars, individual plants or

assemblages of plants on the basis of defined similarity” as defined in the “International Code

of Nomenclature for Cultivated Plants” (ICNCP).

It is important to note that the Groups are more of practical value than of any important

taxonomic significance. They have been generally well accepted by the horticultural world and

are used currently in the ‘RHS Plant Finder’. Also, it appears that this classification is helpful to

gardeners not yet familiar with the plants. With further research over the years, it has become

apparent that some cultivars originally placed in Fertile Blue and Infertile Blue Groups, would be

better reclassified as “stand alone” cultivars.

The Groups and “Stand-alone” categories were used in the RHS’s lay-out of the trial and in the

records made. They are defined briefly here:



A. GEORGE SHERRIFF GROUP

A number (maybe over 20) of sterile clonal cultivars previously known collectively by the invalid

name M. grandis GS600 and presumed to have arisen from George Sherriff ’s collection of

M. grandis subsp. orientalis seed in eastern Bhutan in 1934, with collection number GS600

(this strictly speaking should be L&S600). They are recognised readily by a combination of

characters: i. the emerging rosette of leaves where the leaves tend to be broad and

spreading, are suffused with red-purple pigmentation and densely clothed with short hairs

(M. ‘Dalemain’, p.22), ii. the broadly elliptic mature leaves, iii. flowering is later than in most

cultivars and the flowers may be a pure blue but often have a purplish/mauve cast

(M. ‘Dalemain’, p.22) and iv) by the fruit capsules comprising broadly ellipsoid capsule bodies

covered densely with short bristles, and styles and stigmas which are not over-large.

Examples of the eight clones which have been named are M. ‘Dalemain’, M. ‘Ascreavie’, M. ‘Susan’s Reward’. B INFERTILE BLUE GROUP

This Group encompasses the remainder of the long-standing sterile clonal cultivars. Cultivars in

this Group are clearly more disparate and not as closely related as those in George Sherriff

Group. These long-standing clones arising, as we believe before 1935, cannot have subspecies

orientalis in their parentage as the seed of the latter was only collected in 1934: they must be

descendants of M. grandis subsp. grandis from Nepal and/or Sikkim. Examples are M. ‘Slieve

Donard’, M. ‘Mrs Jebb’.

C. FERTILE BLUE GROUP

Fertile, seed-raised cultivars. This Group was established to comprise hybrid cultivars that

produce viable seeds that will germinate to produce new generations of plants. To date, the

most significant is M. ‘Lingholm’. Another which was placed in this Group, and classed as such in

the trial, was ‘Mop- head’, but it has become clear that this was not a wise classification and it

should really be classed as “stand alone” (D). It produces little or no seed and this does not

appear to breed true.

D “STAND-ALONE” CULTIVARS.

These are cultivars that do not fit readily into A, B or C above. With furthering of our knowledge

of the big blue poppies, there has been an increase in the number of cultivars either placed,

Part of the National Collection of big perennial blue poppies at The Linns, Dunblane, Perthshire.


or should be placed, in this category. Examples are M. ‘Keillour’, M. ‘Inverewe’, M. ‘Marit’. E MECONOPSIS GRANDIS CULTIVARS e.g. M. grandis ‘Himal Sky’

As the work of identifying and naming progressed, The Meconopsis Group management

committee decided that a trial of the big perennial blue poppies for the Award of Garden

Merit (AGM) would be desirable, so an approach was made to the RHS. Their Joint Rock

Garden Plant Committee (JRGPC) took up this proposal. Over several years this committee,

which judges plants, as exhibition plants, has made 14 awards to Meconopsis as follows:

AWARDS OF MERIT (AM), not to be confused with AGM (Award of Garden Merit): ‘P.C. Abildgaard’, ‘Barney’s Blue’, ‘Crewdson Hybrid’, ‘Huntfield’, ‘Jimmy Bayne’, ‘Lingholm’, ‘Marit’ and ‘Mrs Jebb’.

PRELIMINARY COMMENDATION (PC): ‘Ascreavie’, ‘Bobby Masterton’, ‘Maggie Sharp’, ‘Willie Duncan’, ‘Mildred’ and ‘Strathspey’.

However, it is important to note that the big perennial blue poppies are not really plants for

exhibition in pots, so it seemed important to assess them further for their worth in an open

garden environment, that is to have them assessed for Awards of Garden Merit (AGMs).

THE TRIAL FOR THE AWARD OF GARDEN MERIT (AGM)

In due course, a trial for the Award of Garden Merit was staged at the RHS’s garden at

Harlow Carr, North Yorkshire, between 2010 and 2013, with the final assessment being made in

June 2013. The assessment process

For the assessments to be made a panel was formed from members of the RHS’ Joint Rock Garden Plant Committee (JRGPC). The Panel was made up as follows: Mary Randall (Chair), Chris Brickell*, Peter Erskine, Alan Furness, Chris Grey-Wilson*, John Mitchell, John Richards,

Early June at The Linns, the peak flowering time for the big blue poppies



Sandy Leven, Ian Christie*, Geoff Hill*, Beryl McNaughton*, Evelyn Stevens* and Pat Murphy*.

Andrew McSeveney is the RHS’s Trials’ Secretary. Those marked with an * are genus

Meconopsis specialists. Geoff Hill, Beryl McNaughton, Pat Murphy and Evelyn Stevens

were co-opted to advise and help in the assessment of the various entries. All the others

are Members or Friends of the Joint Rock Garden Plant Committee with a particular interest in

the genus.

The process of assessment for AGMs involved careful deliberation and comparisons to be

made during visits by the panel to Harlow Carr and to “demonstration beds” at RHS gardens

Wisley and Rosemoor and at Holehird Garden at Windermere over the three years. Of the

“demonstration beds”, the collection at Holehird in particular proved highly useful. In addition to

these, the plants were already well established in garden settings in Scotland at The Linns,

Sheriffmuir, Dunblane, at Branklyn Garden, Perth and in Ian Christie’s Nursery at Kirriemuir,

Angus.

The decision on which plants should be given AGMs was made in the third year. At this

meeting, in a meeting room at Harlow Carr, the merits of each cultivar as seen at trial were

discussed extensively, taking into consideration growers’ experiences with each, before final

decisions were made. It is noted that the visits to see the collections at Holehird, in Evelyn

Stevens garden, at Branklyn Garden and at Ian Christie’s nursery over the three-year period

proved invaluable in helping to understand and assess the garden-worthiness of this group of

the big perennial blue poppies.

Choice of plants for the trial

It was important to choose carefully which cultivars to put up for trial. Clearly those judged

beforehand to be well worthy of receiving an AGM at trial were to be included, but the RHS

also requested that some less AGM-worthy ones should be entered for comparison.

In the end 23 entries were selected. Alphabetically arranged, and with their category (see above

in parenthesis), the twenty three cultivars/species chosen were:

Meconopsis ‘Ascreavie’ (A), Barney’s Blue’ (A), ‘Bobby Masterton’ (B), ‘Bryan Conway’ (B),

‘Crarae’ (B), ‘Crewdson Hybrid’ (B), ‘Dalemain’ (A), grandis ‘Himal Sky’ (E), ‘Huntfield’ (A),

‘Inverewe’ (D), ‘Jimmy Bayne’ (A), ‘Keillour’ (D), ‘Lingholm’ (C), ‘Louise’ (C), ‘Marit’ (D),

‘Mop-head’ (C), Mrs Jebb’ (B), ‘P.C. Abildgaard’ (B), ‘Slieve Donard’ (B), ‘Stewart Annand’ (B),

‘Strathspey’ (D), ‘Susan’s Reward’ (A) and ‘Willie Duncan’ (D). Most of these are hybrids of

garden origin. M. grandis ‘Himal Sky’ is thought to be the true species and it is not yet clear

whether this also applies to ‘Strathspey’ and this requires further research.

Omitted cultivars and Species

It will be noted that the widely available and popular cultivar ‘Lingholm’ is not in the list of award

winners. It was entered in the Trial but did not receive an AGM. It is a seed-raised cultivar and

very variable in constitution, longevity, flower quality, size and colour, the finest being excellent

and long-lived garden plants. The Trial’s panel concluded that until such time that the cultivar

can be stabilised and properly circumscribed then it could not be considered AGM-worthy,

particularly as the buying public could not rely on a uniform product at the present time.

For no apparent reason other than it being an oversight, the most widely grown of all big blue

perennial poppies, the species M. baileyi (M. betonicifolia hort.), was not entered into the trial.

However, it already has an AGM dating back to 1993.

Source of plants for the trial

Plants were sourced from three donors, Ian Christie (Christie’s Nursery), Beryl McNaughton

(MacPlants) and Evelyn Stevens, who each provided more-or-less equal numbers of cultivars.

One cultivar came from Graeme Butler (Rumbling Bridge Nursery). They were presented in

21cm pots, with three plants of each form going to the trial at Harlow Carr and also three of

each going to Wisley, Rosemoor and Holehird in order for them to be set out as

“demonstration beds” for comparisons to be made.


Meconopsis ‘Slieve Donard’: in full flower at The Linns (top left); maturing young basal foliage

(top right); sterile fruit capsule (bottom left); flower detail (bottom right)

The Sites and Growing Conditions

The site at Harlow Carr is at 500ft above sea-level. It is an

attractive one above a stream on sloping ground, well lit but with

supporting shade from trees and shrubs close by. The sloping site

was generally considered by most members of the Trial’s Panel to

be far from perfect in that it did not give suitably comparable

conditions for each of the entries. For instance from the outset of the

trial it was clear that those planted at the bottom of the slope

performed better than those towards the top where conditions were

appreciably drier.



Visits were undertaken to all the sites of the physical conditions at each, a brief summary of

the findings is given below:

Soils: Overall the soils tended to be medium acidic loams (ranging from “sandy loam to loam

and pH 6.0 – 6.5 at Wisley to “silty loam to heavy clay and pH 6.0-6.5 at Harlow Carr).

Heights above sea level: These ranged considerably from 114ft at Wisley to 700ft at The Linns, Dunblane with 500ft at Harlow Carr and Holehird.

Rainfall through the year: Monthly records (excluding Rosemoor), and taken over many years,

showed that Holehird was by far the wettest site, with Dunblane wetter than Harlow Carr, which

has significantly less rainfall than Holehird. Wisley was the driest site.

Planting Sites: These varied considerably. For Harlow Carr – see above. At Holehird the

site is an open and level site protected from the wind by netting and hedges. Similarly at The

Linns, Dunblane, the site is open and level, and it is surrounded by a beech hedge to provide

shelter. The site at Wisley was quite different being along a woodland path under trees. The

plants did not do well, apparently due to competition from other plants and presumably the

warmer and drier climate. At Rosemoor the site was of more open woodland than at Wisley.

Performance was better here than at Wisley. Here ten cultivars failed to survive but

M. ‘Slieve Donard’, ‘Crewdson Hybrid and ‘Dalemain’ flowered well, while M. ’Crewdson Hybrid’,

‘Keillour’, ‘Huntfield’ ‘Lingholm’ and ‘Louise’ flowered fairly well.

Records of temperature were not available for all the sites. But from the start of the trial it was

recognised that Meconopsis thrive best in cooler, moister gardens and this was the reason for

choosing the RHS’s most northerly garden for the trial. The wisdom of this choice was

confirmed. As anticipated, the plants performed much better in the northern localities of the

north-west and north- east of England and in Scotland than in the south and south-west of

England.

THE INDIVIDUAL AGM CULTIVARS

The big perennial blue poppies share many features in common. All the plants are herbaceous

perennials in which the flowers are borne towards the apex of a stout, leafy flower-stem, in nearly

all, around 1m or slightly more in height, actual height depending partly on growing conditions and

partly on genetic make-up. All parts of the plants are important in their circumscription. These

parts comprise the emerging young leaves and the mature leaves, both the basal and stem

leaves, the flowers and the maturing fruit capsules that develop after flowering. These are all

also attractive features.

Plants attaining an AGM at the Trial were Meconopsis ‘Bobby Masterton’, ‘Dalemain’, grandis

‘Himal Sky’, ‘Inverewe’, ‘Keillour’, ‘Marit’, ‘Mop-head’, ‘Mrs Jebb’ ‘P.C. Abildgaard’, and Susan’s Reward’.

RE-CONFIRMED AGM

The well-known cultivar for which the award was confirmed was M. ‘Slieve Donard’. Checking

the detailed records made during the trial high-lighted its vigour and floriferousness: its 1993 award

was clearly justified.

Meconopsis ‘Slieve Donard’ [B]. It was no surprise that the AGM held by Meconopsis ‘Slieve

Donard’ was re-confirmed. It is one of the “purest blue” cultivars. This fine sterile clone was

raised by Dr. Curle in Edinburgh in 1935 by crossing M. grandis with M. baileyi, and acquired its

name after it had been sent to Northern Ireland and later given to the Slieve Donard nursery who

in due course (1967) gave it the name by which it has been known ever since.


Meconopsis ‘Bobby Masterton’: in flower at The Linns

(top left); maturing basal leaves (top right); fruit capsule

(bottom right); comparison of mature basal leaves

(middle right), ‘Bobby Masterton’, left, ‘Slieve Donard’,

right.

The indisputable beauty and good constitution of M. ‘Slieve Donard’ are

undoubtedly the reasons that it is one of the most widely distributed of the

big blue poppy cultivars, grown both by individual gardeners and in

extensive and impressive swathes in large gardens open to the public, for

example, at the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh and Dawyck Botanic

Garden.

Meconopsis ‘Slieve Donard’ is attractive, like all the big blue poppies, from

its first appearance in early spring. At this time there appears a tiny rosette

of upright elliptic leaves with a furry-looking covering of long white-tipped

hairs. As the leaves mature and gradually enlarge, the hairs become less

conspicuous. The mature leaves, both basal and flower-stem leaves, are

narrowly elliptic to oblong-elliptic with a sub-acute apex (sharply pointed

tip), and the margins are either almost entire (smooth) or slightly sinuous

with a number of indistinct or shallow indentations, occasionally with minute

teeth.

The sky-blue flowers, 10-16cm in diameter, possess four broadly

overlapping ovate petals, almost as broad as long, rather shallowly concave

with only a slight waviness of the margin and a texture that is silky-looking,

but of good substance. Each flower also has a prominent central boss of

golden stamens (which become brown with ageing) with a long, slender ovary

protruding through it. The flowers may sometimes present an open and

outward-facing stance and sometimes appear nodding or downward-facing.



The maturing fruit capsules that then develop are densely covered with conspicuous, long

(3-4mm) spreading bristles. Since it is sterile the capsule contains only aborted, non-viable

“seeds”.

DESCRIPTIONS OF AGM (2013) PLANTS Meconopsis ‘Bobby Masterton’ [B] A vigorous, clump-forming cultivar that has certainly been

growing in various gardens in Scotland for many decades, but it was recognized and

acknowledged as distinct by The Meconopsis Group and then given this name in 2003. The

flowers appear very similar to those of M. ‘Slieve Donard’ and can readily be mistaken for the

latter. There are clear-cut differences however, demonstrating that it is a different clone.

The features most easily distinguishing it from M. ‘Slieve Donard’ include the newly emerging

leaves in spring, the adult leaves and the maturing fruit capsules. The newly emerging leaves

possess intense red-purple pigmentation suffusing both the ventral and dorsal surfaces and the

hairs covering them are less prominent. The mature basal leaves and flower-stem leaves are

narrowly-elliptic, but unlike ‘Slieve Donard’, the margins possess distinct, albeit shallow,

teeth. In the maturing fruit capsules the covering of bristles is less dense and shorter (2-3mm)

than in ‘Slieve Donard’ and a very noticeable feature is the baldness of the sutures that join the

carpels. In ‘Slieve Donard’ the sutures are either bristly throughout their length or at least at the

proximal end. As with ‘Slieve Donard’ this cultivar is sterile and produces no viable seed.

Unlike ‘Slieve Donard’ where there is quite a lot of information on its origin, this does not

apply to ‘Bobby Masterton’, the origin of which remains obscure. Its similarity to M. ‘Slieve

Donard’ suggests that it may be a sister seedling.

Meconopsis ‘P.C. Abildgaard’ [B] A fine sterile clone with pure sky-blue flowers in many ways

very like the previous two cultivars, but there are distinct differences and it is of much more

recent origin. In 1999 Troels Juhl, a student at the Royal Veterinary and Agricultural College,

Copenhagen, in Denmark, introduced this cultivar to The Meconopsis Group. He saw it

growing, he suspected wrongly labelled, in the College garden. He contacted us with the

request that we should identify it. It had been raised from seed distributed by the Danish

Primula Society in 1989. Troels sent Evelyn Stevens a small division which proved to be

unique, a very vigorous clone and readily propagated by division for distribution to nurseries.

After a few years its name (suggested at our request by the college where it originated -

Professor Abildgaard was the founder of the college) was approved by The Meconopsis Group

in 2007. It then received an RHS ‘Award of Merit’ in 2009. It has understandably become very

poplar and commercially available.

The rosettes of distinctive young leaves with well-defined, regular, marginal teeth emerge

significantly later than those of ‘Slieve Donard’ and ‘Bobby Masterton’. When mature, the

substantial and neat, broad, oblong-elliptic leaves with regularly spaced, well-defined teeth along

the margins of the leaf-blades, are handsome features in the garden scene. This applies to

both the basal leaves and to the leaves on the sturdy flower-stem.

This cultivar is exceptionally floriferous. The petals of the sky-blue flowers are not quite as

broadly overlapping as in ‘Slieve Donard’ and ‘Bobby Masterton, but there are frequently 5 or 6,

sometimes even 7 flowers arising from the false whorl at the top of the flower-stem. In a large

and well established plant there may be several more than the usual 2 or 3 flowers arising in

the axils of the leaves below the false whorl and this adds to its flower-power. The fruit

capsules are similar in appearance to those of ‘Slieve Donard’.

Meconopsis ‘Dalemain’ [A]: see under ‘Susan’s Reward’. Meconopsis grandis ‘Himal Sky’ [E] is one of the two purported species to be involved in the

parentage of the big perennial blue poppy hybrids, the other being M. baileyi (M. betonicifolia

Hort.).


Meconopsis ‘P.C. Abildgaard’: mature flowering plant at The

Linns (top left); a whole inflorescence (top right); semi-mature

basal leaves.

M. grandis is a very variable species and

has recently been sub-divided into three sub-

species, M. grandis subsp. grandis,

subsp. M. g . subsp. orientalis and subsp.

jumlaensis. It tends to have been generally

assumed that supsp. orientalis is involved in

the parentage of the George Sherriff

Group cultivars – on the other hand it is

possible that these are actually the species

itself rather than hybrids which have

become sterile for some reason other than

hybridisation – chromosome counts

currently being undertaken may hopefully

clarify this point. An argument against the

species idea is that subsp. orientalis, recently

seen in the Arunachal Pradesh by Cox et al

and Margaret and David Thorne et al. just

two years ago, not too far from where

Sherriff collected his GS600 (L&S600) seed

in 1934, show some similar, but some

very dissimilar features, e.g. the red-purple

flushed early foliage so characteristic of George Sherriff Group cultivars appear to be totally

lacking.

To return to M. grandis ‘Himal Sky’, it has features, for example, the large, glabrous fruit capsules,

which suggest that it is M. grandis subsp. grandis, but from which particular seed collection we

do not know. Three names are referred to in the older literature and by growers, namely

“Sikkim form”, “Early Sikkim form” and “grandis Nepalese form”. It is very unclear, to one of us at

least, (ES), whether these names are synonymous or are, or were, all different forms of

M. grandis subsp. Grandis. Is ‘Himal Sky’ one of these, or a quite different clone? It is

interesting though that ‘Himal Sky’ possesses a feature for which there do not appear to be

records from the wild. This is the consistent single flower in the false whorl.



Meconopsis grandis ‘Himal Sky’ [E] has been in cultivation for a long time, it is long-lived,

can be readily propagated by division and sets fruit capsules with abundant viable seeds

which breed true. It is probable that this clone originated from Cluny Garden in Perthshire and in

that garden is known as “grandis single-headed blue”, but we do not know for certain.

‘Himal Sky’ is very early flowering and this may explain why its seeds breed true, without other

blue poppies to cross with. In many years it is the earliest, even before ‘Mop-head’. The

rosettes of basal leaves are slender-elliptical in shape, the margins are virtually entire

(smooth) with only the minutest of teeth or indentations, and they are sub-acute to acute at

the apex and, at the base, gradually merge with the petioles. They never have any red-

purple pigmentation. The flower-stem that emerges from within the basal rosette of leaves is

short, bears one or two stem leaves and the false whorl comprising two or three sessile leaves

at its apex. A single flower arises from within the false whorl. It flowers at about 30cm.

The flowers (10-15cm across) may have 4, 5 or 6

petals, rather wavy in outline and overlapping. They

are normally mauve-blue in colour. After

flowering, the pedicel (that is, the stalk that bears the

flower and not the main flowering-stem which arises

from ground level), lengthens greatly with the

ripening fruit capsule at it apex. The fruit capsules

are large (5.5-6cm long x 0.9-1.3cm wide) and unlike

any of the hybrids we have in cultivation, is glabrous,

that is it does not bear bristles or hairs. One expects

the capsules to be full of large, black viable seeds.

At present, we think that only divisions of this

clone should be named M. ‘Himal Sky’, but in time, it

may be agreed that, as it breeds true, seedlings

could also be so named, rather than M. ex grandis

‘Himal Sky’.

Meconopsis ‘Inverewe’ [D] is a highly distinctive

clone received from John Anderson at Inverewe Garden

in 2003 with a request that The Meconopsis Group

clarify its identity. It had grown well in large clumps

at Inverewe undisturbed for many years, but it was

puzzling because although it had similarities

Meconopsis grandis ‘Himal Snow’: basal leaves (bottom left); flowers (top); fruit capsules (bottom right)


Meconopsis ‘Inverewe’: young leaf-rosette (top left); mature leaves, stalked, upper leaves and bracts (top right);

flowering at The Linns (bottom left); inflorescence detail (bottom middle); fruit capsule (bottom right).

with M. baileyi (then known as betonicifolia), it did not possess all the characteristics of that

species: for one thing it was sterile and did not produce capsules full of viable seed. We

concluded that it was a hybrid of M. baileyi with many of the latter’s features. It was named M.

‘Inverewe by The Meconopsis Group in 2007. In the last few years its great similarity with the

rare M. baileyi subsp. pratensis has been noted. Chris Grey-Wilson says that it is

conspecific (i.e. the same species), but it is not synonymous as it does have differences: i.e.

the two taxa are clearly different clones. One important one is that ‘Inverewe’ is readily

propagated by division, but because not many off-sets are produced by M. baileyi subsp.

pratensis this is difficult to maintain – hence its rarity.

A striking feature of the newly emerged rosette of leaves is the intense red-purple pigmentation of

the short-elliptic basal leaves. The bases of the leaf-blades are cordate (heart-shaped) to

truncate (“cut off”) and at the apex (tip) they are obtuse (rounded), both features which occur in

M. baileyi. As the basal leaves mature the pigmentation is lost, they become longer and the



petioles also become greatly lengthened. The flower-stem bears three to five similar, but

sessile leaves. The false whorl leaves are also similar. Typically, up to five or six flowers

arise from within the false whorl. The pedicel (flower stalk) is unusual in that it is strongly

reflexed from near its point of attachment to the flower, with the result that the flower buds and the

newly opening flowers are also intriguingly markedly reflexed and downward-facing. This reflexed

stance of the flower is usually maintained as the larger proportion of the pedicel lengthens

upwards. The flowers within the false whorl tend to open in a sequence such that they usually

present a tiered appearance. When the first flower or two has faded at the top of their stems

and the fruit capsules are developing prominently in a top “layer”, later flowers present

themselves in a lower “layer”. Another feature is that, although at first downward- looking, as

the individual flowers mature they tend to become more side-ways facing. The flowers, around

10cm wide, with 4 or 5 clear mid-blue petals, are apt to be flat-faced, each petal ovate, over-

lapping, slightly wavy and sub-obtuse to sub-acute at the apex. The fruit capsules are

short and barrel-shaped, clothed densely with short bristles, the style is short and wide, and the

large stigma is prominent, rounded and sharply demarcated from the style – all very

reminiscent of M. baileyi.

Meconopsis ‘Keillour’ [D] is another very distinctive cultivar. This was drawn to the attention

of The Meconopsis Group in 2001 by Stuart Pawley, as possibly ‘M. ‘Branklyn’. This was clearly

incorrect and The Meconopsis Group agreed to it being named M. ‘Keillour’ in 2002. It had been

given to Stuart by the gardener at Keillour Castle, the home and garden of the renowned plants

people Major and Mrs Knox-Finlay who had obviously been responsible for raising this unique

cultivar many years before.

‘Keillour’ has many features not shared by other big blue poppies except another equally

fine, but as yet unnamed clone, from the same source, provisionally known as Meconopsis

MG52. The leaves, both emerging and mature ones are pale green, and they are oblanceolate,

that is, the leaf- blade is inversely lanceolate, broadest at the apex and tapering towards the

stalk (petiole). The apex is obtuse (rounded).

The flower-stem bears the usual stem leaves, but these are relatively small, increasingly

small on the upper stem, resulting in the stem itself being well exposed. The false whorl leaves are

particularly small and often puckered.

The flowers are frequently forward-facing, maybe nodding. The petals are broad, over-

lapping and slightly crinkled, thus giving a rather undulating edge. The flowers are unusual in

that the petals are whitish in the center, this merging gradually with the normal blueness of the

outer part. Another unusual feature is the stamens that are noticeably smaller than in other

forms, and soon change from golden to brown. The fruit capsules are similarly unusual, plump

and barrel-shaped with deep grooves between the sutures joining the carpels, densely covered

with short bristles and with a short, broad style and prominent broad stigma.

Meconopsis ‘Marit’ [D]. As exceptions to the blue big perennial poppies there are a number of

white forms. One is the lovely white form of the species, M. baileyi, i.e. M. baileyi ‘Alba’.

There are also a few other larger white-flowered forms, but the best is undoubtedly M. ‘Marit’.

Gardeners in Britain owe it to Finn Haugli, then Director of the Arctic-Alpine Botanic Garden

in Tromsø in northern Norway, for introducing it into Scotland in 1998.

In about 1980, a friend of his, Marit Espejord, crossed M. ‘Lingholm’ (male parent) with

M x sarsonsii (female parent) and produced three seedlings that proved to be sterile. One was

selected and later named ‘Marit’. Finn concluded that it presumably has at least MM.

betonicifolia (now baileyi), integrifolia and M. grandis in its genetic make-up

In a collection, the rosettes of young leaves of ‘Marit’ are amongst the earliest to emerge. It is

both very distinctive and attractive. Firm-textured, ascending elliptic leaves with acute tips,

are densely clothed on both surfaces in striking, long ginger hairs with white tips. The upper half

to two- thirds of the leaf-margins are evenly indented with neat forward-directed serrate teeth.


Meconopsis 'Keillour: young leaf-rosette (top left); upper leaves and bracts (top right); in flower at the trial, Harlow Carr

(middle left); two flowers (bottom left and right), the right with anthers fading; fruit capsule (middle right).



With maturation, the leafy flower-stem develops, with the false whorl at the top. About four

flowers develop from within the false whorl. Unlike some of the other large, white flowered

clones (not yet formally named), the pedicels are relatively short so that the flowers open a

short distance above the false whorl, giving ‘Marit’ a neat appearance. Neatness also

applies to the rounded, bowl-shaped flowers, 11-13cm across, themselves comprising four

ovate, overlapping petals. The ellipsoidal maturing capsule is very distinctive being densely

clothed with long (4-5mm) ginger bristles with white tips, a stout style and prominent stigma.

Meconopsis ‘Mop-head’ [C] is a very distinctive cultivar that clearly has Meconopsis grandis

in its parentage. It was raised by Liz Young as M grandis in about 1980 by sowing seed from

the SRGC seed exchange. A number of seedlings were raised, and over time, one was

selected and named by Liz as M. ‘Mop-head’. It was accepted for recognition and naming by

The Meconopsis Group in 2007.

An important feature of ’Mop-head’ is that it is one of the earliest big blue poppies to flower.

The only named exceptions to this in our collections are the species.

Meconopsis ‘Marit’, the finest white-flowered cultivar: young leaf-

rosettes (top left); inflorescence (bottom left); a solitary flower (bottom

right); fruit capsule (top right).


Meconopsis ‘Mop-head’: maturing basal leaf-rosettes (bottom left); in full flower at The Linns (top left); a solitary flower, detail (bottom right); fruit capsule (top right). M. grandis ‘Himal Sky’, and the cultivar M. ‘Strathspey’ ‘Strathspey’ is very grandis- like,

except that it is sterile and therefore, for the present at least, regarded as a hybrid cultivar.

There is also a very distinctive, but as yet unnamed hybrid, MG52. A second impressive

feature of ‘Mop-head’ is that it has beautiful and huge, rich deep blue flowers. It is also readily

propagated by division.

In a collection of big blue poppies, the basal rosettes of emerging leaves are amongst the

earliest to appear. The handsome leaves that develop are broadly elliptical and appear

dramatically ascending, darkish green in colour, the margins with a few shallow or slight

indentations, and clothed with long, white-tipped hairs.

Two to four (mostly 2) exceptionally large (18-24cm across) deep rich blue flowers arise from

the false whorl at the apex of a short flower-stem (55-75cm) just above the mature foliage, the

latter comprising the basal leaves, a few large stem and false whorl leaves. The bowl-shaped

flowers are sometimes forward-facing, sometimes nodding. The four, occasionally 5, ovate

petals are broadly overlapping. The style and stigma are prominent features protruding through

the usual boss of golden anthers, the stigma being particularly large. The flowering period



extends over about two weeks. After the flowers fade and the fruit capsules are

developing, the pedicels lengthen considerably. Interestingly, the lengthening of the pedicels is

more marked than in most forms other than true M. grandis. The bristly, long-elliptical fruit

capsules are exceptionally large (e.g. overall 4.5cm long x 1.0cm wide, with a long and thick

style (1cm long x 4mm wide) and a massive stigma (0.8cm long x 0.9cm wide). The anticipated

seeds within such a well-developed fruit capsule are usually absent, but sometimes a few seeds

are produced. The resulting plants were not true to form but probably this should be tested

again. Either way, true or not, the resulting plants should not be labelled M. ‘Mop-head’ which

is to be regarded as a clonal cultivar, for the present at any rate. Any seedlings should be

labelled “ex M. ‘Mop-head’”.

Meconopsis ‘Mrs Jebb’. Both the sterile hybrids, ‘Mrs Jebb’ and its close relative ‘Crewdson

Hybrid’, were in the trial, but unfortunately the position of ‘Crewdson Hybrid’ in the trial bed

probably accounted for it failing to be given an AGM. It seems virtually certain that ‘Mrs Jebb’

was a selection from ‘Crewdson Hybrid’. In the RHS journal of 1950, Mrs Cicely Crewdson

recounted that in 1938 a natural hybrid arose in her garden in Kendal between “what I call the

‘Sikkim’ (true blue) Meconopsis grandis and M. betonicifolia”. She still had it as a fine clump

in 1950. There is no mention in Cicely Crewdson’s article of it setting seed, but Jack Drake’s

Inshriach Nursery catalogue of 1957/8 has the following entry: “Meconopsis ‘Crewdson Hybrids’

raised from seed given us….by that fine gardener, the late Mrs Crewdson of Kendal.” It is

also interesting to note that the late John Lawson, later proprietor of Inshriach Nursery,

reported that their seed-sowing records showed that this cultivar was raised from seed until

1959 by which date it became sterile and was thereafter propagated by division only. Both

sterile ‘Crewdson Hybrid’ and the assumed selection, ‘Mrs. Jebb’, have been grown in

gardens for many decades.

The flowers of both hybrids are a deep clear blue and never show signs of the purplish tones

seen in some other cultivars. In both they are mostly sideways-facing. In ‘Mrs Jebb’ the flowers

are shallow and saucer-shaped, more or less circular in outline with broadly overlapping

petals and a little smaller (8-12cm in diameter) than in most other cultivars. The four crisp-

textured, slightly pleated petals are just a little wider than long, resulting in the broad overlapping

and slightly wavy margin. In closely-related ‘Crewdson Hybrid’ the flowers are a similar colour,

but they are a deep-open cup, or cup-funnel shape, 10-15cm across. The petals are ovate,

not broadly over-lapping and the distal halves have ruffled or frilly margins.

The fruit capsules that develop after flowering are very distinctive in appearance, but seem to

be indistinguishable in the two cultivars. This is part of the evidence of their close relationship.


Meconopsis ‘Mrs Jebb’: flowering at The Linns

(top left); inflorescence detail (top right);

maturing basal leaf- rosettes (opposite left);

fruit capsule (opposite right)

The capsule body is a short ellipsoid covered with a dense pile of short bristles. The style is

unusually short and is surmounted by a prominent and rounded stigma.

Further resemblances, indicating a close relationship between the two cultivars, are seen in the

leaves. The emerging leaves, in both cultivars, are shortly oblong-elliptic with sides that tend to

be parallel, neat and firm-textured, with crenate margins, the teeth well defined and evenly

distributed. The tips of the leaf-blades are obtuse. There is also flushing with red-purple

pigment, but with an additional slightly brownish tinge, the latter seemingly being unique to these

two cultivars. The leaves are covered with abundant short (2mm), pale brown hairs. With further

growth of the leaves, in both there is fading of the red-purple and brownish pigments, but in the

case of ‘Crewdson Hybrid’ they become noticeably more tapered towards the apex while this

tapering is absent in ‘Mrs. Jebb’. The lack of tapering or presence of tapering in ‘Mrs Jebb’

and ‘Crewdson Hybrid’ respectively, also applies to the flower-stem leaves.

Both these cultivars come into flower a little later than, for example, ‘Slieve Donard’ and

‘Bobby Masterton’ but before members of George Sherriff Group. Another valuable feature is

that they are a little shorter than many others, which may sometimes be preferable for

gardeners. Both have a strong constitution and are readily propagated by division.

Meconopsis ‘Susan’s Reward’ [A] and ‘Dalemain’ [A] have been classified by The

Meconopsis Group as belonging to George Sherriff Group. There is much evidence to

suggest that these and many others, some of which have been given clonal names, that we

have in our gardens, are all derived from the seed collected by George Sherriff in1934 in

eastern Bhutan under the collection number Meconopsis grandis GS600 (or more correctly as

L&S600). It appears that they are hybrids that have arisen in gardens and are not the true

species grandis subsp. orientalis from which they originated. They are not only beautiful, but

useful in the garden because they are amongst the latest of the big blue perennial poppies to

flower (although there are a few cultivars, some named, one not yet but provisionally called

M. MG50, which are the latest to flower).



Meconopsis ‘Susan’s Reward’: mature flowering plant at The Linns (left); inflorescence detail (right)

‘Susan’s Reward’ and ‘Dalemain’ are two of four very similar clones that have been named, for a variety of reasons, by The Meconopsis Group. Meconopsis ‘Jimmy Bayne’ was the first named and was really instrumental in the founding of The Meconopsis Group. Then came ‘Huntfield’ in 2002, a very vigorous and readily propagated clone (unfortunately, its position in the trial bed was not in its favour), then ‘Dalemain’ grown in large expanses at Dalemain Garden and sold to their visiting public and which they wished to be able to sell as “their” blue poppy with their own name, and finally ‘Susan’s Reward’ reported by gardeners on the east side of Scotland to grow particularly well in drier climates. ‘Susan’s Reward’ was introduced to The Meconopsis Group by Sue Sym. Sue was given this plant by Betty Sherriff of Ascreavie after she had spent a while helping Betty in 1972. Sue had then grown the plant in several gardens in the Borders and eventually in Edinburgh and it had given her great pleasure over many years. These are all fine leafy plants with beautiful, bowl-shaped flowers, 11-15cm in diameter, with

broadly overlapping petals. Often the flowers are a lovely deep blue, at others, even in the

same garden, in a different location; they may have mauve or purplish tones which some

gardeners prefer to the pure blue. Note that the mauve blue tone predominates in the

photograph that was taken at Dalemain while, on the occasion when ‘Susan’s Reward’ was

photographed at The Linns, ‘Susan’s Reward was a much truer blue – this is not always the

case.

George Sherriff Group clones are readily recognised from their first emergence in spring. From

the first sight as they emerge in early spring, they are instantly recognisable because of the

very distinctive rosettes of broadly elliptical young leaves with characteristic red-purple

pigmentation on both ventral and dorsal surfaces and a dense covering of soft, short hairs.


Meconopsis ‘Dalemain’: young leaf-rosettes (top left); mature stand at The Linns, near Dunblane (bottom); fruit capsule (top right).

The red-purple pigmentation is lost as the leaves mature, and the broad stem leaves are

responsible for the general impression of leafiness of the lower part the mature plants, with the

lovely blue flowers bedecking the top. The fruit capsules of all are also very similar. These

comprise short barrel-shaped capsule bodies covered densely with short pale coloured bristles, a

short to medium style and a fairly large stigma.



‘Ascreavie’ (top right); ‘Crarae’ (top left); ‘Barney’s Blue’ (bottom);

‘Crewdson Hybrid’ (middle right).


‘Huntfield’ (left); ‘Willie Duncan’ (right)

PLANT HERITAGE COLLECTIONS: See www.nccpg.com

There are three Plant Heritage National Collections of big perennial blue poppies: in the private

garden of Dr Evelyn Stevens at Dunblane, Perthshire at the National Trust for Scotland’s

Branklyn Garden in Perth, www.nts.org.uk/Property/Branklyn-Garden and Holehird Garden in

Windermere: www.holehirdgardens.org.uk/

NURSERIES: Those with good named collections of big perennial blue poppies are:

Christie’s Alpines; Edrom Nursery; Glendoick Gardens; Kevock Garden Plants; Macplants.

FURTHER READING:

For more information on the genus, and many of the cultivars, Meconopsis-rich gardens, visit the Meconopsis Group Website: www.meconopsis.org.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS: Huge thanks to Mary Randall who chaired the Trial and kept the

members of the trial’s panel focused over the three years of its existence. We are grateful to the

RHS for carrying out this trial, and in particular to the curator at Harlow Carr, Elizabeth Balmforth,

and to Alison Goding, Andrew Willocks and the other gardeners for care of the trial bed. We

would also like to thank Pat Murphy for her detailed studies of the “other” gardens involved in this

trial, and to all others, members of The Meconopsis Group, who have helped in many ways

over the years in our studies on the beautiful big perennial blue poppies.

Photographs: All supplied by Evelyn Stevens except Figs.1, 2, 3 kindly provided by Pat.

http://www.nccpg.com/

http://www.nts.org.uk/Property/Branklyn-Garden

http://www.holehirdgardens.org.uk/

http://www.meconopsis.org/



‘Strathspey’ (top); ‘Louise’ (left middle;

‘Evelyn’ (right middle); ‘Mildred’ (bottom).

Documents

Big Perennial Blue-Flowered Meconopsis (Papaveraceae)