The International Meconopsis Register and Checklist
The International Meconopsis Register and Checklist
The ISHS Commission for Nomenclature and Cultivar registration appointed The Meconopsis Group as the International Cultivar Registration Authority for the genus Meconopsis from 1 November 2002.
The Meconopsis Group:
The Meconopsis Group consists of gardeners, horticulturalists and nurserymen all with a particular interest and love for the beautiful plants of the genus Meconopsis. It was founded in 1998 with the aim of clarifying the correct identities of the big perennial blue poppies. At that time many of these plants were being grown and sold under incorrect names and the situation was rather confused.
Initially plants, together with their purported names, were gathered together from gardens throughout Scotland and northern England for an Identification Trial. These were sorted and grouped together in trial beds at the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh for assessment. A number of cultivars were quickly identified and correctly named but it soon became apparent that many garden hybrids existed and that many distinct plants did not have cultivar names.
The Identification Trial was later transferred to the large garden of Dr. Evelyn Stevens in Sheriffmuir as this provided better conditions for growing these moisture loving plants. Her garden had been registered as a Plant Heritage National Collection for the big perennial blue poppies in 2001 and in this location the plants could be studied more easily on a day to day basis by Evelyn and visited at appropriate intervals by members of the Trials and Assessment Sub-Committee of The Meconopsis Group.
After careful observation over many years a large number of distinct clones were recognised and those selected have been given formal cultivar names by The Meconopsis Group. Many of these cultivars have subsequently been given plant awards by the RHS Joint Rock Garden Plant Committee (JRGPC) and in 2013 the Award of Garden Merit (AGM) was given to 10 cultivars following a three year assessment trial at Harlow Carr, Harrogate.
The Group has been fortunate to have received such enthusiastic and willing support from its members for this project and we must also acknowledge the continued and valued support of the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh, the Scottish Rock Garden Club, the Alpine Garden Society and the Royal Horticultural Society. We are indebted to those members who donated plants to the Identification Trial, and to all those members who have spent time assessing plants or helping with the administration of the Group. Particular thanks and recognition must be given to the late Dr. Evelyn Stevens who dedicatedly nurtured, propagated, studied and meticulously identified the characteristic features of the big blue perennial poppy cultivars for so many years.
The Register and Checklist:
In this Register & Checklist cultivar status is shown by enclosing the cultivar name in single quotation marks e.g. M. ‘Slieve Donard’.
Details of the parentage or origins of the cultivar are given where these are known together with details of any plant awards.
A brief description of the main features of the cultivar that are useful in distinguishing it from other similar plants is given but a much fuller description can be found in the books listed below. All parts of the plant are important in their circumscription but it is sometimes fairly subtle differences, or more often a combination of small differences that help to distinguish one cultivar from another. Features that are particularly helpful are:
Flowers – size, shape, colour, petal shape and texture, the extent of petal overlap, flower posture e.g. nodding or lateral facing, pedicel length, time of flowering.
Emerging foliage – time of emergence, whether upright or spreading in stance, leaf shape and petiole length, leaf colour and the presence or absence of any red-purple pigmentation, shape of indentations or teeth on the leaf blade margins, details of leaf hairs.
Mature foliage – basal leaf shape, petiole length, and the shape and positioning of any teeth or notches on the leaf margins.
Fruit capsule – size and shape, length and thickness of the style, shape and size of the stigma, details of the bristles on the capsule body and their presence or absence on the sutures between the carpels.
Details of the parentage or origins of the cultivar are given where these are known together with details of any plant awards.
A brief description of the main features of the cultivar that are useful in distinguishing it from other similar plants is given but a much fuller description can be found in the books listed below. All parts of the plant are important in their circumscription but it is sometimes fairly subtle differences, or more often a combination of small differences that help to distinguish one cultivar from another. Features that are particularly helpful are:
Flowers – size, shape, colour, petal shape and texture, the extent of petal overlap, flower posture e.g. nodding or lateral facing, pedicel length, time of flowering.
Emerging foliage – time of emergence, whether upright or spreading in stance, leaf shape and petiole length, leaf colour and the presence or absence of any red-purple pigmentation, shape of indentations or teeth on the leaf blade margins, details of leaf hairs.
Mature foliage – basal leaf shape, petiole length, and the shape and positioning of any teeth or notches on the leaf margins.
Fruit capsule – size and shape, length and thickness of the style, shape and size of the stigma, details of the bristles on the capsule body and their presence or absence on the sutures between the carpels.
Further Information:
Much fuller definitive cultivar descriptions together with numerous photographs of all the cultivars can be found in the following two reference books:
‘Meconopsis for Gardeners’, Editor-in-Chief: Christopher Grey-Wilson. Alpine Garden Society in collaboration with The Meconopsis Group. AGS Publications, 2017
‘A Pictorial Guide to the Big Blue Poppies (Meconopsis)’ by Evelyn Stevens, Dander Publishing, 2015
‘Meconopsis for Gardeners’, Editor-in-Chief: Christopher Grey-Wilson. Alpine Garden Society in collaboration with The Meconopsis Group. AGS Publications, 2017
‘A Pictorial Guide to the Big Blue Poppies (Meconopsis)’ by Evelyn Stevens, Dander Publishing, 2015
MG Rating:
The cultivars named after a long period of assessment by The Meconopsis Group Plant Assessment Committee have each been given a star rating to indicate the committee’s consensus view of their garden worth. Criteria considered in coming to this rating include: reliability, ease of cultivation, hardiness, flower quality, number of flowers and distinctiveness.
Plant Awards:
RHS Award of Garden Merit (AGM)
This award is only given to plants that have been judged, over a three year period, to be of outstanding excellence in the garden.
The Royal Horticultural Society’s Joint Rock Garden Plant Committee may recommend awards for plants shown for exhibition. The following awards have been given to Meconopsis cultivars:
First Class Certificate (FCC)
Award of Merit (AM)
Preliminary Certificate PC)
This award is only given to plants that have been judged, over a three year period, to be of outstanding excellence in the garden.
The Royal Horticultural Society’s Joint Rock Garden Plant Committee may recommend awards for plants shown for exhibition. The following awards have been given to Meconopsis cultivars:
First Class Certificate (FCC)
Award of Merit (AM)
Preliminary Certificate PC)
Registration of New Cultivar Names:
Raisers and introducers of new cultivars are urged to ensure that the names of all of their plants have been registered. The form to register a new name can be obtained from the International Meconopsis Registrar at the address below. There is no charge for registration.
N.B. Acceptance of a cultivar or Group name by an International Cultivar Registration Authority does not imply judgement on the distinctness of that particular cultivar or Group, nor of its horticultural merit.
Mrs. P Murphy, International Meconopsis Registrar, xxxxxxxxxx, xxxxxxxx, xxxxxxxxxxx, xxxxxxx, United Kingdom.
Email: xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
N.B. Acceptance of a cultivar or Group name by an International Cultivar Registration Authority does not imply judgement on the distinctness of that particular cultivar or Group, nor of its horticultural merit.
Mrs. P Murphy, International Meconopsis Registrar, xxxxxxxxxx, xxxxxxxx, xxxxxxxxxxx, xxxxxxx, United Kingdom.
Email: xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Groups
The International Code of Nomenclature for Cultivated Plants defines a Group as “a formal category which may comprise cultivars, individual plants or combinations thereof on the basis of defined character-based similarity”. All members of the Group must share the character(s) by which that Group is defined.
When The Meconopsis Group first started to try to sort out the identities and correct nomenclature for the many disparate big perennial blue poppies submitted to our naming trial it was found useful to classify the plants into three Groups based on their individual characteristics. Details of the three Groups which were originally established are given in the following publication:
Stevens, E. and Brickell, C. “Problems with the Big Perennial Blue Poppies”, The New Plantsman, Vol. 8 part 1, March 2001.
This article was later reprinted in The Rock Garden, Vol. XXVII part 2, No. 107, June 2001.
Only the cultivars in the George Sherriff Group are closely related and now that the identification and naming work has progressed and individual cultivars have been described it is less important to associate these cultivars with a particular Group.
The International Code of Nomenclature for Cultivated Plants defines a Group as “a formal category which may comprise cultivars, individual plants or combinations thereof on the basis of defined character-based similarity”. All members of the Group must share the character(s) by which that Group is defined.
When The Meconopsis Group first started to try to sort out the identities and correct nomenclature for the many disparate big perennial blue poppies submitted to our naming trial it was found useful to classify the plants into three Groups based on their individual characteristics. Details of the three Groups which were originally established are given in the following publication:
Stevens, E. and Brickell, C. “Problems with the Big Perennial Blue Poppies”, The New Plantsman, Vol. 8 part 1, March 2001.
This article was later reprinted in The Rock Garden, Vol. XXVII part 2, No. 107, June 2001.
Only the cultivars in the George Sherriff Group are closely related and now that the identification and naming work has progressed and individual cultivars have been described it is less important to associate these cultivars with a particular Group.
Meconopsis George Sherriff Group (GSG)
This Group was established to contain the sterile clonal cultivars that were previously grown and distributed under the name M. grandis L&S 600 (or GS 600). These plants first grown from Ludlow and Sherriff’s 1934 collection of seed in NE Bhutan were very different to the forms of M. grandis from Nepal and Sikkim that had been in cultivation for many years. Most of the George Sherriff Group plants have the following characteristics: a) the emerging leaves are suffused with a red-purple pigmentation and are densely clothed with short hairs, b) the mature leaves are broadly elliptical, c) the blue flowers often have a purplish/mauve cast, and d) the fruit capsules are broadly ellipsoid and are densely covered with short bristles.
Note: The forms of M. grandis found in Bhutan, southern Tibet and Arunachal Pradesh have now been recognised as a separate species, M. gakyidiana. Plants grown from the seed collected by Ludlow and Sherriff have always been referred to by gardeners as M. grandis L&S 600 or GS 600. These plants were initially fertile but are now essentially sterile. The herbarium specimen of L&S 600 was collected on 6th July 1934 on the Nyuksang La, Sakden, NE Bhutan. There is no record of a seed collection on that date but Sherriff’s diary records that bags were left with the plants for seed to be collected later when it was ripe. These bags were found to be missing when the area was revisited on 20th October and the plants had been eaten and trampled. Sherriff wrote that a packet of seed was collected with great difficulty from plants remaining in the area but this collection is not recorded in the seed collecting book. Although this appears to raise some uncertainty about this collection a note on a herbarium sheet at the British Museum (Natural History) records that plants grown from L&S 600 seed collected in 1934 flowered at Branklyn, Perth in June 1937.
Ludlow and Sherriff made two confirmed seed collections of M. gakyidiana in 1934:
L&S 875, 21st August 1934, Cho La, Tibet
L&S 1021, 5th October 1934, Me La, E Bhutan.
A later expedition to NE Bhutan in 1949 with Hicks provided two other confirmed seed collections
L,S&H21069, 22nd August 1949, Me La, Shingbe, NE Bhutan
L,S&H21431, 25th August 1949, Me La/Cho La valley, NE Bhutan.
It seems likely that all of these seed collections will have played a part in the development of the sterile George Sherriff Group cultivars grown in our gardens today.
Note: The forms of M. grandis found in Bhutan, southern Tibet and Arunachal Pradesh have now been recognised as a separate species, M. gakyidiana. Plants grown from the seed collected by Ludlow and Sherriff have always been referred to by gardeners as M. grandis L&S 600 or GS 600. These plants were initially fertile but are now essentially sterile. The herbarium specimen of L&S 600 was collected on 6th July 1934 on the Nyuksang La, Sakden, NE Bhutan. There is no record of a seed collection on that date but Sherriff’s diary records that bags were left with the plants for seed to be collected later when it was ripe. These bags were found to be missing when the area was revisited on 20th October and the plants had been eaten and trampled. Sherriff wrote that a packet of seed was collected with great difficulty from plants remaining in the area but this collection is not recorded in the seed collecting book. Although this appears to raise some uncertainty about this collection a note on a herbarium sheet at the British Museum (Natural History) records that plants grown from L&S 600 seed collected in 1934 flowered at Branklyn, Perth in June 1937.
Ludlow and Sherriff made two confirmed seed collections of M. gakyidiana in 1934:
L&S 875, 21st August 1934, Cho La, Tibet
L&S 1021, 5th October 1934, Me La, E Bhutan.
A later expedition to NE Bhutan in 1949 with Hicks provided two other confirmed seed collections
L,S&H21069, 22nd August 1949, Me La, Shingbe, NE Bhutan
L,S&H21431, 25th August 1949, Me La/Cho La valley, NE Bhutan.
It seems likely that all of these seed collections will have played a part in the development of the sterile George Sherriff Group cultivars grown in our gardens today.
Meconopsis Infertile Blue Group (IBG)
This Group contains the majority of the remainder of the sterile big perennial blue poppies which were often being grown and distributed incorrectly as M. x sheldonii. The cultivars are more disparate in nature than those of the GSG but the Group includes such important cultivars as M. 'Slieve Donard' and M. 'Crewdson Hybrid'.
Meconopsis Fertile Blue Group (FBG)
This Group was established to contain all the fertile seed-raised big perennial blue poppies which were being grown and distributed incorrectly as M. grandis or as M. x sheldonii. All seed raised plants that have not been accorded cultivar status should be referred to using the generic name Meconopsis Fertile Blue Group. The Group also contains several cultivars which have since been selected for formal naming including M. 'Lingholm', M. 'Harry Bush' and M. 'Mildred'. It must be recognised though that due to seedling variation such plants may not come entirely true from seed. To maintain the cultivar name only the best forms should be retained or else the clones should be propagated by division.
Cultivars
Named: pre-1955.
An invalid name. The cultivar is not now known in cultivation under this name. It appears to have been a FBG cultivar and was described as a pale-flowered form of M. x sheldonii with a leaf that much more closely resembled M. grandis than did the other M. x sheldonii. [Cobb, J.L.S. (1984), Bulletin Of The Alpine Garden Society, Vol.52 p.63].
Brough in 1955 refers to raising seedlings of both "the Aberchalder form of M. grandis" and also of M. x sheldonii. [Brough, M. (1955) Bulletin Of The Alpine Garden Society, Vol. 23 p.143].
M. 'Alaska'
Cultivar of garden origin. A seed-raised hybrid fairly closely related to M. betonicifolia but with M. baileyi in its makeup. It is a very elegant, slender and airy plant with a stoloniferous habit.
Raised by: G.C. Hill, 2011. First flowered by: G.C. Hill, 2012.
Introduced by: G.C. Hill, 2012. Named by: E. Stevens, 2015.
Registered by: E. Stevens, 2015.
Flowering: May to June with many pale sky-blue flowers on long pedicels. The flowers are initially nodding and saucer-shaped but as they mature they become more open, flatter and lateral facing. Petals elliptic-ovate with frilled margins.
Emerging foliage: The young leaves are firm, erect and densely covered with short hairs. Their blades are triangular with a truncated or slightly cordate base.
Mature foliage: The basal leaves develop long narrow petioles and spread. Their blades are paddle shaped or triangular-ovate with a truncate or cordate base and a sub-obtuse apex. The leaf margins are incised with several crenate dentate teeth. The young flower stems are initially red-brown in colour.
Fruit capsule: Oblong-ellipsoid, densely covered with ginger bristles and capped with a long style. This cultivar is essentially sterile but a few viable seeds may be produced. Plants raised from this seed do not usually come true to type tending to be larger and more robust with more densely clothed stems and less resemblance to M. betonicifolia.
Etymology: M. ‘Alaska’ was raised from seed obtained from an Alaskan nursery in which plants of M. betonicifolia were grown alongside M. baileyi and M. ‘Lingholm’. Hand pollinated seed was sent to us from plants that were thought to be true M. betonicifolia but all of the plants raised from this seed proved to be hybrids and lacked the glabrous capsules which are characteristic of M. betonicifolia.
M. 'Alba'
Ambiguous. See M. baileyi subsp. baileyi 'Alba', M. grandis 'Alba' or M. horridula 'Alba'
M. 'Archie Campbell'
Named: pre-1989.
This name was not established by means of a published description and no plants of this cultivar are now known to us.
M. 'Ardcuil'
A late emerging and late flowering cultivar with an airy appearance. Of garden origin, parentage unknown.
Named by: E. Stevens, 2015. Registered by: E. Stevens, 2015.
Flowering: late May to July. Sky-blue or sometimes pinkish-blue bowl-shaped flowers with smooth-edged ovate petals which slightly overlap at their base. The petals tend to be retained as the fruit capsules develop and turn to become vertical.
Emerging foliage: The firm, ascending, broadly ovate leaves with a dense covering of pale hairs emerge in late spring.
Mature foliage: The mature basal leaves develop long petioles. The leaf blades are oval-elliptic to oblong-elliptic with a few shallow teeth in their margins. Leaf tips are sub-obtuse. The stem leaves clasp the stem in an upright manner.
Fruit capsule: Narrowly ellipsoid with a broad base, fairly densely covered with short pale bristles. The style is slender with a rounded prominent stigma. Sterile.
Etymology: This cultivar was submitted to The Meconopsis Group naming trial by a number of donors. It was named after the home in Perthshire of Major-General Murray-Lyon where it is thought that this plant may have originally been grown in the mid-20th century.
M. 'Arley Hall'
This name has not yet been established by means of a published description.
M. 'Ascreavie' (George Sherriff Group)
A cultivar of garden origin, related to M. gakyidiana. A distinctive cultivar with large open windmill shaped flowers. Strong growing but the lax flower stems tend to lean in windy R conditions.
MG Rating: ★★★ Awards: PC (2005)
Named by: The Meconopsis Group, 2002. Registered by: The Meconopsis Group, 2002.
Flowering: late May to July. Deep blue or sometimes mauve/blue or purple/blue. Flowers on short stems emerging from a whorl of leaf-like bracts on a leafy lax stem. Petals elliptic to elliptic-oval, long, narrow and wavy with the margins often reflexed. The petals do not overlap.
Emerging foliage: The late emerging broad leaves are initially suffused with a red-purple pigmentation and densely covered with pale short hairs.
Mature foliage: The mature basal leaves develop long petioles. The blades are broad, lanceolate-elliptic to ovate-elliptic with deeply serrate teeth on the leaf margins. Leaf tips acute, leaf base attenuate.
Fruit capsule: Narrowly ellipsoid and covered with short pale bristles. Long narrow style. Does not usually produce viable seed.
Etymology: This cultivar was submitted to The Meconopsis Group naming trial by a number of donors. It was named 'Ascreavie' after George Sherriff's garden in Angus where it was known to have been grown for many years.
M. 'Ascreavie White'
A cultivar of garden origin related to M. gakyidiana.
Named by: E. Stevens, 2015. Registered by: E. Stevens, 2015.
Flowering: mid-May to early June. White flowers with a nodding or semi-nodding aspect. The pedicels elongate significantly as the flowers mature and the fruit capsules develop. Petals ovate with waved erose margins, overlapping at their base to form a cup-shaped flower.
Emerging foliage: Early emerging erect leaves without any red-purple pigmentation but densely covered with long straw-coloured hairs with white tips.
Mature foliage: The mature basal leaves have long petioles and elliptic blades, their upper margins incised with several coarse uneven serrate-dentate teeth. Leaf tips acute, leaf base attenuate.
Fruit capsule: Long and narrowly ellipsoid. Densely covered with reflexed bristles. Narrow style. Sterile.
Etymology: Named ‘Ascreavie White’ after the garden in which it has been grown for many years and where it was photographed in 1969. It was sourced from Ascreavie and submitted to The Meconopsis Group naming trial by I. Christie in 2000.
M. 'Askival Ivory'
M. integrifolia × M. quintuplinervia. This cross made by M. and P. Stone at Fort Augustus, Scotland is perennial but sterile.
Hybridised and raised by: M. and P. Stone, pre-1984. Named by: M. and P. Stone, pre-1984.
Registered by: The Meconopsis Group, 2017.
A dwarf plant with deeply cupped pale cream nodding scapose flowers.
Mature foliage: Elliptical three-veined leaves with entire margins.
Etymology: ‘Askival’ was the name of Mike and Polly Stone’s former garden in Fort Augustus.
M. 'Astral Blue'
See M. grandis subsp. grandis 'Astral Blue'.
M. baileyi subsp. baileyi 'Alba'
A white flowered form of M. baileyi subsp. baileyi which comes true from seed. Also known as M. baileyi subsp. baileyi var. alba.
MG Rating: ★★★
Registered by: as M. betonicifolia 'Alba', pre-2002.
Flowering: late May to July. White flowers, the uppermost arising on short pedicels from a false whorl of short stem leaves, lateral-facing to half nodding. Petals rounded to ovate, overlapping at base. Numerous stamens with yellow-orange anthers.
Emerging foliage: Broadly elliptical leaves with a shallowly cordate base.
Mature foliage: The basal leaves, covered with rough hairs, are oblong-ovate to broad paddle shaped with long petioles and neat crenate blunt teeth on their margins. Leaf bases are cuneate or shallowly cordate and the apex is sub-obtuse to sub-acute.
Fruit capsule: Ovoid-ellipsoid with a short broad style and stigma. The capsule body is densely covered with straw-coloured bristles. Fully fertile.
M. baileyi subsp. baileyi 'Glacier Blue'
Named: pre-1997.
This name has not been established by means of a published description.
M. baileyi subsp. baileyi 'Hensol Violet'
A deep violet-purple or purple-magenta form of M. baileyi subsp. baileyi which comes true from seed.
MG Rating: ★★★★ Awards: PC (2006)
Raised by: Lady Catherine Henderson. Introduced by: Bill Chudziak and Les Newby, ca. 1995.
Named by: Bill Chudziak, ca. 1995. Registered by: The Meconopsis Group, 2002.
Flowering: late May to July. Violet-purple flowers, the uppermost arising on short pedicels from a false whorl of short stem leaves, lateral-facing to half nodding. Petals rounded to ovate, overlapping at base. Numerous stamens with yellow-orange anthers.
Emerging foliage: Broadly elliptical leaves with a shallowly cordate base.
Mature foliage: The basal leaves, covered with rough hairs, are oblong-ovate to broad paddle shaped with long petioles and neat crenate blunt teeth on their margins. Leaf bases are cuneate or shallowly cordate and the apex is sub-obtuse to sub-acute.
Fruit capsule: Ovoid-ellipsoid with a short broad style and stigma. The capsule body is densely covered with straw-coloured bristles. Fully fertile.
Etymology: Named after its place of origin, Hensol Castle, Dumfriesshire, where it had been raised by Lady Henderson from SRGC seed.
M. baileyi subsp. baileyi 'White Swan'
Syn. M. baileyi subsp. baileyi 'Alba'.
Named: pre-1984.
M. 'Ballyrogan'
Synonymous with, or a selection from M. ‘Lingholm'.
Introduced by: G. Dunlop, pre-1997. Named by: G. Dunlop.
Registered by: E. Stevens, 2015.
Flowering: mid-May to late June. Sky blue, lateral to half-nodding shallowly bowl-shaped flowers. Broadly ovate petals, slightly waved at their margins.
Emerging foliage: Densely covered in short pale hairs.
Mature foliage: Basal leaves are ovate-elliptic to oblong-elliptic with shallow crenate-dentate teeth on their margins and long petioles.
Fruit capsule: Narrowly ellipsoid and covered with pale straw-coloured bristles with white tips. Long style.
Etymology: Formerly known under the invalid name “Ballyrogan Form” this cultivar was named after Ballyrogan Nursery, Northern Ireland which is owned by G. Dunlop.
M. 'Barney's Blue' (George Sherriff Group)
A very distinctive cultivar with flowers that have a tri-coloured appearance. It is probably of garden origin but has an affinity to M. gakyidiana.
MG Rating: ★★★★ Awards: AM (2005)
Named by: I. Christie, 2005. Registered by: The Meconopsis Group, 2005.
Flowering: late May to late June. The flowers are initially deep magenta on opening but the colour changes from the centre outwards over the course of a few days to a mauve-blue and then to a clear sky blue. This gives groups of the plants a tri-coloured effect. The flowers are at first deeply cupped and lateral facing but turning upwards as they age. Their petals are rounded and broadly overlapping at the base and have a slight frill.
Emerging foliage: The young leaves are paleish green and covered with pale ginger hairs which gives them a furry appearance on emergence. They are later emerging than other GSG members and lack the usual red-purple pigmentation.
Mature foliage: The mature basal leaves have a long petiole and spread laterally. Their elliptic blades are attenuate at the base and the tips are sub-obtuse. The leaf margins are regularly incised with shallow crenate-dentate teeth.
Fruit capsule: Narrowly ellipsoid, densely covered with pale ginger bristles. The style is long and is capped with a prominent rounded stigma. Sterile.
Etymology: Plants of this cultivar were submitted to The Meconopsis Group naming trial by a number of donors and some of these could be sourced back to the former garden of George and Betty Sherriff at Ascreavie. This cultivar was found to be still growing at Ascreavie in 2000 and has been named after Barney Barron the present owner of the property.
M. 'Betty Sherriff's Dream Poppy'
See M. grandis ‘Betty Sherriff's Dream Poppy’
M. 'Biggar Park'
This name has not yet been establshed by a published description.
M. 'Blue Ice'
This name has not been established by means of a published description. The cultivar is probably synonymous with M. 'Lingholm' but may be slightly earlier to flower.
Named by: F. Carrie, Tough Nursery, ca. 1995.
M. 'Bobby Masterton' (Infertile Blue Group)
A cultivar of garden origin, most probably a hybrid of M. grandis subsp. grandis and M. baileyi.
MG Rating: ★★★★ Awards: PC (2008), AGM (2013)
Named by: The Meconopsis Group, 2002. Registered by: The Meconopsis Group, 2002.
Flowering: May-June. Nodding, sky blue flowers. The petals are broadly overlapping with slightly erose margins.
Emerging foliage: The emerging elliptic leaves are firm and up-reaching. They are intensely suffused with a purple-red pigmentation on both surfaces (more prominently on their lower surface) and they are also covered with straw coloured hairs.
Mature foliage: The elliptic basal leaves have a prominent pale mid-rib and long petioles. The margins of the mature leaf blades are shallowly toothed with many serrate-dentate teeth. The leaf base is attenuate and the apex sub-acute to sub-obtuse.
Fruit capsule: Narrowly ellipsoid, covered with short straw-coloured bristles except on the sutures. Long slender style. Sterile.
Etymology: Plants of this cultivar were submitted to The Meconopsis Group naming trial by a number of donors, many of these being labelled as forms of M. × sheldonii. The cultivar was given its name in recognition of Bobby Masterton who created the Cluny House Garden in Perthshire.
M. 'Branklyn' (George Sherriff Group)
Ambiguous. A number of very different plants were submitted under this name to The Meconopsis Group naming trial. ‘Branklyn’ is known to be a round-petalled George Sherriff Group clone and this immediately ruled out many of the purported plants of ‘Branklyn’ submitted to the trial. Which, if any, of the plants still being grown under this name is the correct clone is yet uncertain although plants bought many years ago from Inshriach Nursery as M. ‘Branklyn’ which have been maintained in cultivation in N. Ireland appear to have a good provenance.
Awards: PC (1961), AM (1962
Named by: Sir E. Savill, ca. 1963. Registered: pre-2002.
The 1963 FCC award was made to a seed raised plant purchased from Jack Drake’s Inshriach Nursery which was then given the name M. grandis 'Branklyn'. The name was incorrectly ICRA registered as M. × sheldonii 'Branklyn' pre-2002.
M. 'Bryan Conway'
A cultivar of garden origin, probably a hybrid of M. grandis subsp. grandis and M. baileyi. This cultivar can be difficult to maintain but its flowers have an attractive frilly, ruffled appearance.
MG Rating: ★★
Named by: The Meconopsis Group, 2005. Registered by: The Meconopsis Group, 2005.
Flowering: May-early June. Sky blue, half-nodding, bowl-shaped flowers with narrow non-overlapping petals which are ruffled at their margins. The petals are elliptic or slightly obovate.
Emerging foliage: The emerging leaves do not have any red-purple pigmentation and tend to spread. Their elliptic blades are narrow and densely covered with long pale straw-coloured white tipped hairs. Leaf base narrowly cuneate to broadly attenuate, apex acute.
Mature foliage: Basal leaves spreading on long slender petioles. Blades lanceolate, long and narrow with shallow serrulate teeth on their margins.
Fruit capsule: Ellipsoid, long, narrow and densely covered with straw coloured slightly reflexed bristles. Long slender style with a narrow stigma. Infertile.
Etymology: Unnamed plants of this cultivar were given to The Meconopsis Group naming trial by three different donors and after the plants were shown to be the same, but distinct, the cultivar was named after one of the donors, the late Bryan Conway.
M. 'Butterfly'
Syn. M. 'Blue Butterfly'.
M. 'Cally Purple' (Fertile Blue Group)
A mauve-purple cultivar found amongst seed-raised plants of M. ‘Lingholm’. It should be propagated vegetatively to maintain its identity.
Raised by: M. Wickenden, Cally Gardens. Introduced by: M. Wickenden.
Named by: M. Wickenden. Registered by: E. Stevens, 2015.
Flowering: May-June. Mauve-purple open saucer-shaped flowers with a lateral-facing to half-nodding aspect. The petals are ovate to elliptic-ovate with a frilled undulate margin.
Emerging foliage: Pale green leaves covered with white-tipped pale hairs.
Mature foliage: The basal leaves are oblong-elliptic with a few shallow sinuate teeth along their margins. The leaf base is narrowly cuneate to broadly attenuate, apex sub-obtuse.
Fruit capsule: Ellipsoid, covered with straw-coloured bristles. Long narrow style.
Etymology: Selected by the late Michael Wickenden of Cally Gardens from a large seed-raised planting of M. ‘Lingholm' and named after his nursery.
M. 'Cameron Carmichael'
M. baileyi x M. ‘Bobby Masterton’. A cultivar which exhibits many of the characteristics of M. baileyi but has larger flowers.
Hybridised by: C. Carmichael, pre-2005. Introduced by: C. Carmichael, 2005.
Named by: E. Stevens, 2015. Registered by: E. Stevens, 2015.
Flowering: May-June. Sky-blue, saucer-shaped, lateral-facing flowers with broadly ovate petals which overlap extensively.
Emerging foliage: Paddle shaped leaves on sturdy petioles which initially are slightly tinted with a purple-red pigmentation. The leaf-blades have a truncate or slightly cordate base and obtuse to sub-obtuse apex with a serrate/crenate leaf margin and are densely covered with pale short hairs.
Mature foliage: The mature basal leaves are paddle shaped to oblong-elliptic. The stems are well clothed with erect leaves which clasp the stem.
Fruit capsule: Broadly ellipsoid and covered with short straw-coloured slightly reflexed bristles. The style is broad and topped with a substantial broad rounded stigma. Infertile.
Etymology: Named after the raiser, the late Cameron Carmichael.
M. 'Cluny White'
This name is not yet established by means of a published description. It is possibly an example of M. × beamishii but it is similar to M. ‘Ascreavie White’ and M. ‘Kilbryde Castle White’.
M. 'Clydeside Early Treasure'
M. ‘Kingsbarns’ x M. ‘Lingholm’. Usually the earliest of the big blue poppy cultivars to flower. Its characteristics reflect the strong influence of M. grandis subsp. grandis in its genetic background.
Hybridised by: A. Jamieson, pre-2005. Introduced by: A. Jamieson, 2005.
Named by: E. Stevens, 2015. Registered by: E. Stevens, 2015.
Flowering: mid-April to May as a single flower arising from the false whorl of leaf bracts. The buds are long and narrow and the deep purple-blue nodding flowers are carried well above the foliage on pedicels which lengthen extensively. The petals are narrowly elliptic with ruffled undulate margins and do not overlap. Prominent narrow style.
Emerging foliage: Pale green narrow lanceolate leaves which are covered with dense short hairs emerge early in the spring.
Mature foliage: The basal leaves have long petioles and the lanceolate leaf blades have a few shallow serrate teeth on their margins. The leaf base is attenuate and the apex acute.
Fruit capsule: Ellipsoid, bluish-green and sparsely covered with a few straw-coloured bristles. In fruit the narrow style does not seem quite as prominent as in flower.
Etymology: So named because of its early flowering nature.
M. ×cookei 'Old Rose'
M. punicea x M. quintuplinervia 'Kaye's Compact'
MG Rating: ★★★
Hybridised by: L. Drummond. First flowered by: L. Drummond.
Introduced by: L. Drummond. Registered by: The Meconopsis Group, 2005.
A soundly perennial sterile cultivar which forms multiple crowns. It is about 30cm tall, with nodding, scapose, campanulate flowers in an attractive shade of magenta.
Etymology: Named ‘Old Rose’ by Leslie and Avril Drummond because the colour of the petals of this cultivar was reminiscent of the colour of the flowers of the old roses on their living room wallpaper.
M. ×cookei 'Satin'
M. punicea x M. quintuplinervia. M. ‘Satin’ is a form of M. × cookei which has flowers that are paler in colour than M. ‘Old Rose’ and the compact pointed leaves are also a paler green.
Named by: I. Christie, ca. 2008. Registered by: The Meconopsis Group, 2005.
M. 'Corrennie'
Syn. M. 'Lingholm'.
Named by: F. Carrie, Tough Nursery, ca. 1994.
M. 'Crarae' (Infertile Blue Group)
A very distinctive cultivar of garden origin with globular flowers which does best when given moist conditions.
MG Rating: ★★★★
Named by: The Meconopsis Group, 2000. Registered by: The Meconopsis Group, 2002.
Flowering: May-June. Large cup-shaped nodding or semi-nodding globular flowers, mauve-blue or a clear sky-blue, with a prominent narrow style. The broadly overlapping petals are rounded to ovate.
Emerging foliage: The leaves emerge early and are suffused with a red-purple pigmentation.
Mature foliage: The pale green leaf blades are oblong-elliptic on long arching petioles. They are very shallowly and remotely toothed in their margins and have a prominent white midrib. The leaf base is attenuate and the apex sub-obtuse.
Fruit capsule: Narrowly ellipsoid and covered with straw-coloured bristles. Long narrow style with a prominent stigma. Infertile.
Etymology: This cultivar was named after the garden at Crarae, Argyll where it grew in large drifts in 1997. It was also grown at Kilbryde Castle near Dunblane.
M. 'Crewdson Hybrid' (Infertile Blue Group)
A very reliable plant, shorter in stature than most of the other cultivars. It first appeared in the garden of Cicely Crewdson in 1939 and is thought to be the hybrid M. baileyi subsp. baileyi x M. grandis subsp. grandis.
MG Rating: ★★★★ Awards: PC (2005), AM (2008)
Introduced by: C. Crewdson. Named by: Jack Drake, Inshriach Nursery, 1957.
Registered by: The Meconopsis Group, 2002.
Flowering: May-June. Deep blue, lateral facing, open cup-shaped flowers. The petals are elliptic to obovate with a frilled and irregularly notched upper margin.
Emerging foliage: The emerging leaves have a marked brownish tinge together with some red-purple pigmentation. Their margins are regularly notched with crenate-serrate teeth.
Mature foliage: Narrow elliptic or oblong-elliptic leaf blades on long petioles with their margins regularly incised with shallow crenate-serrate teeth. Leaf base shortly attenuate, the apex acute.
Fruit capsule: Narrowly ellipsoid, densely covered with short bristles. Short style and rounded stigma. Infertile.
Etymology: Originally distributed as M. ‘Crewdson Hybrids' by Inshriach Nursery in 1957/1958. The plants were apparently once fertile and were raised by seed at Inshriach until 1959. The cultivar is now sterile and is propagated by division. It was renamed M. ‘Crewdson Hybrid’ on registration by The Meconopsis Group to meet the naming requirements of the ICNCP code.
M. 'Cruickshank'
An attractive cultivar of garden origin with large nodding flowers.
MG Rating: ★★★
Named by: The Meconopsis Group, 2002. Registered by: The Meconopsis Group, 2002.
Flowering: May-June. Sky-blue nodding bowl-shaped flowers. Petals elliptic-ovate and only slightly overlapping at their base. Frilled margins which are slightly notched on their upper parts.
Emerging foliage: Emerging leaves: The erect leaves are suffused with a red-purple pigmentation, particularly on their lower surfaces.
Mature foliage: Mature leaves: Spreading lanceolate leaves on long petioles with the leaf margins incised with irregular serrate and slightly hooked teeth. Leaf base attenuate, apex acute.
Fruit capsule: Long narrow ellipsoid capsule covered with reflexed straw-coloured bristles except on the sutures. Long style topped with a narrow stigma. Sterile.
Etymology: Named after the Cruickshank Botanic Garden, Aberdeen where it was grown.
M. 'Dagfinn'
An elegant cultivar said to have been raised from wild collected seed (EMAK 473) collected in the upper Arun Valley, east Nepal. It is thought that it may be a naturally occurring hybrid between M. grandis and M. simplicifolia. Sterile but occasionally sets a few seeds.
MG Rating: ★★★
Raised by: D. Nilsen, c. 1992/3. Introduced by: F. Haugli.
Named by: F. Haugli. Registered by: The Meconopsis Group, 2012.
Flowering: May-June. Pale sky-blue, nodding to semi-nodding flowers held on long pedicels which elongate towards maturity. Petals elliptic-ovate, overlapping at their base.
Emerging foliage: Pale green.
Mature foliage: Broad lanceolate-elliptic leaves on long petioles, spreading. The leaf margins are incised with a few neat, serrate teeth. Leaf base attenuate, apex sub-acute.
Fruit capsule: Ellipsoid, initially downturned before becoming erect at maturity when it develops a rather knobbly appearance. The capsule body is covered with orange-brown bristles and has a long style with a rounded stigma. Essentially sterile.
Etymology: Named after the raiser Dagfinn Nilsen.
M. 'Dalemain' (George Sherriff Group)
A robust strong growing leafy cultivar which bulks up well. It is probably of garden origin with an affinity to M. gakyidiana.
MG Rating: ★★★★ Awards: AGM (2013)
Named by: The Meconopsis Group, 2005. Registered by: The Meconopsis Group, 2005.
Flowering: Late May-June. Between 2 and 4 blue, mauve-blue or purple-blue flowers arise from the false whorl, often accompanied with additional flowers from the uppermost leaf axils. The lateral facing flowers are saucer to shallow bowl-shaped with petals which are initially deeply overlapping. Their petals are rounded to broadly ovate with a slightly undulated margin.
Emerging foliage: Broad leaves suffused with a pronounced red-purple pigmentation and covered with short straw-coloured hairs.
Mature foliage: Broadly elliptic to oblanceolate on long petioles, the leaf margins incised with many serrate-dentate teeth. Leaf base attenuate, apex acute.
Fruit capsule: Narrowly ellipsoid, covered with pale straw-coloured bristles. Long style and a prominent stigma. Sterile.
Etymology: Named after Dalemain Garden, Cumbria where it is grown in large beds. It is very similar to M. ‘Huntfield’ and was in fact introduced to Dalemain from Huntfield House by Mrs. Sylvia McCosh who owned both properties. Both cultivars were originally sourced from Jack Drake’s Inshriach Nursery.
M. 'David Smith'
An elegant tall growing cultivar (1.2 - 1.5m) with attractive flowers of a good blue colour.
Named by: The Meconopsis Group, 2020. Registered by: The Meconopsis Group, 2020.
Flowering: late May - late June. Between 3 and 6 lateral facing to half-nodding sky blue flowers arise on long pedicels from the false whorl with additional flowers arising from the uppermost leaf-axils. The deeply overlapping petals are ovate to rounded, smooth edged and only slightly undulate.
Emerging foliage: Firm textured broadly elliptical leaves on sturdy, short, winged petioles emerge in late March. The young leaves have a very furry appearance and are densely covered on both surfaces with long brown hairs.
Mature foliage: The mature basal leaves are long-petioled, their lamina lanceolate to lanceolate elliptic with a sub-acute apex and a truncate or shortly attenuate base. The leaf margins are shallowly toothed along their full length.
Fruit capsule: Narrowly ellipsoid, covered with pale straw coloured spreading bristles. Long narrow style and stigma. Fertile.
Etymology: This cultivar is named after David Smith who was the gardener at Ascreavie in the 1970s and who later looked after a garden at Kirkhill, Angus. He propagated this cultivar by seed and gave one of his plants to Ian Christie. Ian has only ever propagated the plant given to him by division and the plant description is based on these vegetatively raised plants.
M. 'Dawyck'
Syn. M. ‘Slieve Donard’. Named by The Meconopsis Group in 2000, but the cultivar was later found to be indistinguishable from M. 'Slieve Donard'.
M. 'Dippoolbank'
A sturdy cultivar of garden origin which probably has M. baileyi as one of its parents.
Raised by: A. Brash, pre-2003. Introduced by: A. Jamieson, 2003.
Named by: E. Stevens, 2015. Registered by: E. Stevens, 2015.
Flowering: May-June: Sky-blue, bowl-shaped, lateral facing flowers. The petals, which overlap extensively, are broadly ovate to rounded with an undulate margin.
Emerging foliage: Bright green paddle-shaped leaves with their lower surfaces densely covered with furry ginger-brown hairs.
Mature foliage: The leaf blades are oblong or elliptic-oblong on long petioles and their margins are irregularly incised with serrate-dentate teeth. The leaf base is truncate and the apex sub-obtuse.
Fruit capsule: Broadly ellipsoid, covered with spreading pale straw-coloured bristles with white tips. The broad style is sometimes twisted and the stigma is rounded.
Etymology: Named after the garden of Alan Brash who raised this cultivar from seed purchased from a garden centre.
M. 'Dorothy Renton'
A tall leafy cultivar of garden origin with shallowly bowl-shaped flowers that often have a distinctive pinkish sky-blue hue.
MG Rating: ★★★★
Named by: The Meconopsis Group, 2005. Registered by: The Meconopsis Group, 2005.
Flowering: May-June. Sky-blue to pinkish blue, shallowly bowl-shaped, lateral facing flowers. Petals rounded to broadly ovate, overlapping in their lower half.
Emerging foliage: Late emerging firm upright leaves on short petioles tinged with a slight red-purple pigmentation on the lower surfaces.
Mature foliage: The basal leaves are ascending and only slightly spreading. The elliptic or lanceolate blades held on long petioles are shortly attenuate at the leaf base with an acute apex. The leaf margins are irregularly serrated with numerous small teeth.
Fruit capsule: Ellipsoid, densely covered with short ascending straw-coloured bristles. Broad style and a prominent broad stigma. Sterile.
Etymology: Sourced in 2003 from Branklyn Garden, Perth where it had been growing for many years. It was given the name Dorothy Renton in memory of one of the garden’s creators.
M. 'Edrom'
A rather unique cultivar of garden origin.
Named by: E. Stevens, 2015. Registered by: E. Stevens, 2015.
Flowering: mid-May to early July. The buds are suffused with a blackish pigmentation. The lateral facing, open saucer-shaped flowers are initially maroon in colour but gradually change to a pale sky-blue. They have a prominent narrow style and as the petals are obovate there is little petal overlap.
Emerging foliage: Upright to slightly spreading on stout, short, winged petioles. The leaf blades are broadly elliptic with scalloped margins. On emergence the blade margins and midribs are suffused with a purple pigmentation.
Mature foliage: Broadly elliptic to oblong-elliptic with a truncate or shortly attenuate base, apex obtuse or sub-obtuse. The margins of the leaf blades are regularly notched with crenate-serrate teeth.
Fruit capsule: Narrowly ellipsoid with a black-purple pigmentation and densely clothed with long straw-coloured bristles. The style is topped with a neat stigma. Sterile.
Etymology: Named ‘Edrom’ after Edrom Nurseries who previously listed this cultivar in their catalogue as “Edrom Dark” or “Edrom dark form”. Its origins are uncertain but it has been known since at least the 1990s and was once grown at Branklyn Garden, Perth.
M. 'Edrom Dark Form'
Syn. M. 'Edrom'.
M. 'Edrom White'
See M. grandis 'Edrom White'
M. 'Evelyn'
A very distinctive cultivar with deep blue flowers. Late-flowering, sturdy and of medium stature.
MG Rating: ★★★ Awards: PC (2011)
Introduced by: I. Christie. Named by: The Meconopsis Group, 2009.
Registered by: The Meconopsis Group, 2009.
Flowering: late May-mid July. Deep blue to violet-blue, lateral facing, bowl shaped flowers. The broadly ovate petals are frilled and overlap extensively.
Emerging foliage: The late emerging, ascending, stiff, thick textured leaves are densely covered with furry deep red-brown hairs. The leaf margins and midribs are initially suffused with a red-brown pigmentation.
Mature foliage: The basal leaves are broadly elliptic with a shortly attenuate base and sub-acute apex, their margins notched with serrate teeth.
Fruit capsule: Ellipsoid and covered with pale straw-coloured bristles. Long style. Partially fertile.
Etymology: Named after Evelyn Stevens, one of the co-founders of The Meconopsis Group. The background of the cultivar is unknown.
M. gakyidiana ex NAPE
Species. This epithet should only be applied to original plants grown from the seed collected in Arunachal Pradesh on the Nagaland Arunachal Pradesh Expedition (NAPE) in autumn 2003 or to plants vegetatively propagated from them.
M. gakyidiana L&S600 (or GS600)
Species. The collection number could only be validly applied to any original plants raised from this particular 1934 seed collection by Sherriff or to plants known to have been propagated vegetatively from them. See George Sherriff Group.
M. grandis 'Alba' from Christie
Ambiguous. This cultivar name was registered pre-2002 but it is uncertain exactly which white cultivar the registration applied to. As long ago as 1951 Cicely Crewdson wrote of a white form of M. grandis in her garden but as plants grown under this name were scarce they were probably infertile.
See also M. grandis 'Edrom White', M. ‘Ascreavie White’, M. ’Kilbryde Castle White’, and M. grandis ‘Miss Dickson’.
M. grandis B.M.W. 109
Species. This collection number should only properly be applied to the original plants raised from seed of the form of M. grandis collected by Binns in Nepal. The plants were reported to have purple-blue flowers and produced viable seeds.
M. grandis 'Balruddery form'
An invalid cultivar name. Very similar to other named GSG clones.
M. grandis Betty Sherriff's Dream Poppy
Ambiguous. Fletcher in his book “A Quest of Flowers” tells the story of Betty Sherriff’s discovery in north-eastern Bhutan of a particularly good form of M. grandis (now M. gakyidiana) from which seed was subsequently collected and distributed. No plants are known which definitely derive from this collection and a number of very different plants were submitted to The Meconopsis Group Identification Trial purporting to be the “dream poppy”. Many of these have been ruled out as they do not have the characteristics of George Sherriff Group plants. Two rather different cultivars which do, both of which are known to have been given to their recipients by Betty Sherriff from the Ascreavie garden as her “dream poppy”, have subsequently been named M. ‘Barney’s Blue’ and M. ‘Susan’s Reward’. Both of these cultivars are infertile. It is uncertain that they derive from this particular seed collection and it is possible that they are garden hybrids.
M. grandis 'Edrom White'
A white flowered cultivar of medium height (60cm tall in flower) which shows many of the characteristics of M. grandis subsp. grandis but is probably a hybrid of garden origin. It is believed to be sterile.
Named by: Edrom Nurseries, 2015. Registered by: E. Stevens, 2015.
Flowering: mid-May to early June. Stems may develop up to four white flowers on pedicels arising from the false whorl of leaves at the apex of the stem. The flowers are open saucer-shaped and lateral facing to semi-nodding. Their petals are ovate-oval in shape with a very crinkled and undulate margin.
Emerging foliage: Ascending pale green leaves covered with pale short hairs.
Mature foliage: Initially ascending but later spreading as the outer basal leaves mature. The basal leaves have elliptical to oblanceolate blades on petioles of medium length. The leaf base is attenuate and the apex acute, the upper leaf margins are sparingly and coarsely notched with a few serrate teeth.
Fruit capsule: Narrowly ellipsoid, covered with long straw-coloured spreading bristles except on the sutures. Long narrow style and a stigma.
Etymology: This cultivar was previously listed by Edrom Nurseries in their catalogue as M. grandis 'Alba' and has possibly been grown for many years under that name.
M. grandis ex NAPE
Species. See M. gakyidiana ex NAPE.
M. grandis 'Ivory'
This cultivar was grown in the national collection at Craigieburn pre-1989 but no plants are now known to us under this name and the name has not been established by means of a published description.
M. grandis L&S600 (or GS600)
The species has now been renamed M. gakyidiana and the collection number could only be validly applied to any original plants raised from this particular 1934 seed collection by Sherriff or to plants known to have been propagated vegetatively from them. See George Sherriff Group.
M. grandis 'Miss Dickson'
A cultivar named pre-1984 but not to our knowledge described in sufficient detail for the name to be established. It may or may not have been related to either M. grandis subsp. grandis or to M. gakyidiana. In some accounts it was said to be a white form of M. grandis but in others a hybrid.
The cultivar was once grown by Major and Mrs Know-Finlay at Keillour Castle but no plants are now known to us under this name.
See also. M. grandis 'Edrom White' which is related to M. gakyidiana.
N.B. There is also a sheet labelled M. x beamishii at the British Museum submitted by Miss A. M. Dickson of Dumfriesshire which has white petals with a faint blue cast.
M. grandis Prain's form
An invalid name that was once given to M. grandis ‘Keillour Crimson’.
M. grandis 'Prain's Variety'
An invalid name that was once given to M. 'Slieve Donard'.
M. grandis 'Puritan'
This cultivar was grown pre-1989 in the national collection at Durham but no plants are now known to us under this name and the name has not been established by means of a published description.
M. grandis 'Strathspey'
A very attractive early flowering cultivar with deep purple-blue lateral facing flowers. It was once thought to have an affinity to M. grandis subsp. jumlaensis.
MG Rating: ★★★★ Awards: PC (2013)
Introduced by: J. Gauld, 2007. Named by: The Meconopsis Group, 2011.
Registered by: The Meconopsis Group, 2011.
Flowering: May to early-June. Stems usually only form a single flower on a pedicel arising from the false whorl of leaves at the apex of the stem but sometimes 2 or 3 flowering pedicels may develop. The pedicels lengthen extensively during flowering so that the flowers are held well above the foliage. The deep purple-blue flowers are initially nodding and cupped but then open out to become more lateral facing and shallowly bowl-shaped. Their petals are fluted, broadly oval and overlap in their lower half. The petal margins are undulate.
Emerging foliage: Ascending elliptical blades on long petioles with a slight red-purple pigmentation which is more pronounced on the leaf margins and midrib.
Mature foliage: The basal leaves become more spreading with long petioles. The leaf blades are narrowly oblong-elliptic with a shortly attenuate leaf base and a sub-obtuse apex. The leaf margins are regularly serrated with small teeth. The bract leaves forming the false whorl at the top of the stem are noticeably large.
Fruit capsule: Narrowly ellipsoid and densely clothed with deep golden-straw-coloured bristles. Long narrow straight style with a prominent stigma. Infertile.
Etymology: Jim Gauld bought this cultivar from Inshriach Nursery near Aviemore many years ago as a form of M. grandis grown from seed collected by Polunin, Sykes and Williams (PSW) in W. Nepal. It was originally thought to have been an example of M. grandis subsp. jumlaensis but as the cultivar is sterile and does not exhibit many of the characteristics of this subspecies it may have other origins or else be a hybrid form. The cultivar was given the name ‘Strathspey’ because of Jim’s love for Loch an Eilean which is located in Strathspey close to Inshriach Nursery.
M. grandis × regia 'James Cobb'
M. grandis x M. regia. A soundly perennial plant with large creamy-yellow flowers. Sterile but readily propagated by division. It does not flower reliably each year.
Hybridised by: J. Cobb, pre-1984. First flowered by: J. Cobb.
Named by: E. Stevens, 2015. Registered by: E. Stevens, 2015.
Flowering: mid-May to mid-June. Large half-nodding, creamy yellow flowers arising both from the false whorl and from the axils of some of the upper stem leaves. The flowers have 4 to 6 long, narrowly elliptical, undulate petals which are only partially overlapping in their lower half.
Emerging foliage: Evergreen rosettes of pale green densely hairy leaves.
Mature foliage: The mature elliptic-oblong basal leaves are petiolate and their margins are jaggedly incised with deep, rounded serrate teeth.
Etymology: Named after its raiser.
M. grandis subsp. grandis 'Astral Blue'
A medium sized, fully fertile form of M. grandis subsp. grandis which has been in cultivation for many years. Syn. M. grandis ES 84 and Bobby Masterton's narrow-leaved grandis from Cluny.
Introduced by: R. Masterton. Named by: E. Stevens, 2015.
Registered by: E. Stevens, 2015.
Flowering: May-June. Each stem only develops one flower on a pedicel which arises from the false whorl of leaves at the apex of the stem. The pedicels lengthen extensively during flowering so that the flowers are held well above the foliage. The flowers are mid-blue, open saucer-shaped, lateral facing to semi-nodding and have a rounded stigma. The petals are broadly ovate and overlapping with a slightly undulate margin.
Emerging foliage: Erect, narrow elliptic to oblanceolate blades on short stems. On emergence the leaves are suffused with a red-brown pigmentation.
Mature foliage: Spreading, narrow elliptic to elliptic-oblanceolate blades on long petioles, leaf base attenuate and the apex acute. The leaf blades have only a few, relatively shallow, dentate-serrate teeth in their margins.
Fruit capsule: Large and glabrous. Ellipsoidal but narrowing towards the base, broad long style topped with a rounded stigma. Fertile.
Etymology: Presumably named on account of the flower colour. This cultivar was donated to The Meconopsis Group Identification Trial in 1998 by Mike and Polly Stone who grew it for many years in their garden at Fort Augustus. They had originally been given it by Bobby Masterton of Cluny House Gardens, Perthshire.
M. grandis subsp. grandis Early Sikkim Form
Species. An ambiguous and invalid name. The earliest introductions of M. grandis to Britain in the late 19th century were grown from seed collected in Sikkim from plants which were cultivated by local herdsmen and that had probably themselves been introduced from Nepal. Early flowering with very narrow pale green leaves. See also M. grandis subsp. grandis 'Great Glen'.
M. grandis subsp. grandis ex KEKE 490
Species. This collection number should only properly be applied to the original plants raised from seed collected in eastern Nepal by the 1989 Kew Edinburgh Kangchenjunga Expedition. These plants had long narrow spear shaped basal leaves with single flowers on a long pedicel arising from the false whorl of bracts at the apex of the stem. Their fruit capsules were glabrous.
M. grandis subsp. grandis 'Great Glen'
A tall form of M. grandis subsp. grandis which has been grown in Scottish gardens for many years. It is now usually sterile but may occasionally set a few fertile seeds. Syn. M. grandis Early Sikkim Form.
MG Rating: ★★★
Introduced by: M. & P. Stone. Named by: The Meconopsis Group, 2012.
Registered by: The Meconopsis Group, 2012.
Flowering: May to early-June. Each stem usually only develops a single flower on a pedicel arising from the false whorl of leaves at the apex of the stem. The pedicels lengthen extensively during flowering so that the flowers are held well above the foliage. Nodding to half-nodding large bowl-shaped sky-blue flowers. The petals are obovate, rather fluted and undulate, and only slightly overlapping.
Emerging foliage: Spreading, pale green, elliptic to ovate-elliptic leaves on long petioles, the leaf blades covered with pale hairs. Leaf base attenuate, apex sub-obtuse.
Mature foliage: The basal leaves spread on long petioles. Leaf blades are elliptic to ovate-elliptic with the leaf base shortly attenuate and occasionally somewhat truncate, the apex sub-obtuse. The leaf margins are essentially entire being only indented with a few small teeth. The bract leaves forming the false whorl at the top of the stem are noticeably large with acute tips.
Fruit capsule: The large capsules are ellipsoid with only a moderate covering of straw-coloured reflexed bristles. The sutures are devoid of bristles. Substantial long twisted style with a prominent stigma. Essentially sterile.
Etymology: Named ‘Great Glen’ as it had been donated to The Meconopsis Group Identification Trial in 1998 by M. & P. Stone who grew it in their former garden at Fort Augustus situated in Glenmore Albin or the “Great Glen of Albin”. They had originally obtained the clone from Ascreavie in 1976 as M. grandis Early Sikkim Form.
M. grandis subsp. grandis 'Himal Sky'
A fully fertile form of M. grandis subsp. grandis. Syn. M. grandis ES104 and the plants nicknamed M. grandis Single-headed blue from Cluny Garden.
MG Rating: ★★★★ Awards: AGM (2013)
Named by: The Meconopsis Group, 2012. Registered by: The Meconopsis Group, 2012.
Flowering: Early May. Each stem only develops one flower on a pedicel which arises from the false whorl of leaves at the apex of the stem. The pedicels lengthen extensively during flowering so that the flowers are held well above the foliage. The flowers are blue to deep mauve-blue, open saucer-shaped, lateral facing to semi-nodding and have a rounded stigma. The petals slightly overlap towards their base and are oval to slightly obovate with undulate margins.
Emerging foliage: Spreading, long-bladed, narrow elliptical leaves which are essentially entire. Leaf base attenuate and the apex acute.
Mature foliage: The basal leaves are long-petioled with narrow elliptical or elliptical-oblanceolate blades. The leaf base is attenuate and somewhat asymmetric, the apex acute and the margins essentially entire.
Fruit capsule: Large glabrous ellipsoidal capsules which taper towards their base with a short style and stigma. Fully fertile.
Etymology: This cultivar, purchased from Ron McBeath, Lamberton Nursery as M. grandis, was initially only propagated by division but it appears to come true from seed and many of the plants now grown under this cultivar name will have been seed raised. Seed was once distributed under the name M. grandis ES104. The cultivar is similar to other plants of M. grandis which have been grown in Scottish gardens for many years, particularly the one nicknamed M. grandis Single-headed blue which grows at Cluny Garden, Perthshire.
M. grandis subsp. grandis 'Keillour Crimson'
Awards: AM (1968)
Named by: Major Knox-Finlay, 1968. Registered by: The Meconopsis Group, 2017.
A cultivar of the Nepal form of M. grandis, now M. grandis subsp. grandis, which had dark purple flowers that were said to be anything but crimson! It was once misnamed as M. grandis Prains' form, but was renamed and exhibited by the Knox-Finlays as M. grandis 'Keillour Crimson'. No plants of this cultivar are now known to us under this name.
M. grandis subsp. grandis Nepal form
Species. An ambiguous and invalid cultivar name. The Nepalese form (from seed collected in Nepal) flowered in cultivation for the first time in 1932 and was initially regarded as inferior both in size and colour to the Sikkim forms of M. grandis already in cultivation. Plants were initially fertile with large flowers which were usually purple-blue.
M. grandis subsp. grandis Sikkim Form
Species. An ambiguous and invalid cultivar name. The earliest introductions of M. grandis to Britain in the late 19th century were grown from seed collected in Sikkim from plants which may themselves have been introduced from Nepal and cultivated by local shepherds. Early flowering with very narrow pale green leaves.
See also M. grandis subsp. grandis 'Great Glen.
M. 'Great Glen'
See M. grandis subsp. grandis 'Great Glen'
M. 'Harry Bush'
A cultivar of garden origin. Introduced by H. Bush. Fairly similar to M. ‘Lingholm’ but the basal leaf margins are more coarsely serrated and plants are slightly later in flowering.
MG Rating: ★★★
Named by: The Meconopsis Group, 2009. Registered by: The Meconopsis Group, 2009.
Flowering: Late-May to June. Bowl-shaped to saucer-shaped, sky blue, nodding to half-nodding flowers. The ovate overlapping petals are slightly fluted.
Emerging foliage: Erect mid-green leaves, densely clothed with pale straw-coloured hairs which have a distinct white tip.
Mature foliage: The basal leaves are elliptic with long petioles. The leaf apex is sub-acute and the leaf base attenuate. The leaf margins are regularly incised with quite coarse serrate-dentate teeth.
Fruit capsule: Narrowly ellipsoid with a slender twisted style. The capsules are densely covered with long ginger hairs which have noticeably white tips. They produce fertile seed but plants should be propagated vegetatively in order to retain the cultivar’s characteristics.
Etymology: Named after the nurseryman Harry Bush who purchased this cultivar at a garden opening at Ascreavie in the early 1970s. Divisions were later given to Graeme Butler who brought it to the attention of The Meconopsis Group.
M. 'Helme Lodge'
Syn. M. 'Mrs Jebb'
M. 'Hensol Violet'
See M. baileyi subsp. baileyi 'Hensol Violet'
M. 'Himal Sky'
See M. grandis subsp. grandis 'Himal Sky'
M. horridula 'Alba'
Ambiguous. This cultivar name was ICRA registered pre-2002 but any plants would certainly not be of the species M. horridula. The plants were possibly white forms of M. prattii but may have been of more complex origin.
M. 'Houndwood'
An elegant cultivar of uncertain garden origin which may no longer be in cultivation. It was originally reported to be a natural cross between M. baileyi and M. quintuplinervia but other sources state that only plants of M. grandis and M. quintuplinervia were present in the garden where it arose. M. ‘Houndwood’ has some resemblance to M. ‘Dagfinn’ (M. grandis × M. simplicifolia).
MG Rating: ★★★
Introduced by: A. Duguid, Edrom Nurseries, 1960's. Named by: A. Duguid.
Registered by: The Meconopsis Group, 2002.
Flowering: mid-May to mid-June. Nodding sky-blue flowers which are usually carried on very long slender scapes but sometimes arise from a false whorl of leaf bracts. The petals are ovate with slight fluting.
Emerging foliage: Pale green elliptic blades on sturdy petioles.
Mature foliage: The paleish green leaves have long petioles. The elliptic to lanceolate lamina are neatly incised with a few serrate teeth on their margins. The leaf base tends to be shortly attenuate and the apex sub-acute.
Fruit capsule: Long ellipsoidal body with a rather irregular lumpy surface covered with short reflexed pale straw bristles. Long style with a rounded stigma. Sterile.
Etymology: The cultivar was named ‘Houndwood’ by the introducer, A. Duguid, after it was found as a natural seedling in the grounds of Houndwood House, Berwickshire.
M. 'Huntfield' (George Sherriff Group)
A strong growing cultivar probably of garden origin with an affinity to M. gakyidiana. Very similar to M. ‘Dalemain'.
MG Rating: ★★★★ Awards: AM (2005)
Introduced by: A. Jamieson, 1998. Named by: The Meconopsis Group, 2002.
Registered by: The Meconopsis Group, 2002.
Flowering: Late May-June. Between 2 and 4 blue, mauve-blue or purple-blue flowers arise from the false whorl, often accompanied with additional flowers from the uppermost leaf axils. The lateral facing flowers are saucer to shallow bowl-shaped with petals which are initially deeply overlapping. Their petals are rounded to broadly ovate with a slightly undulated margin.
Emerging foliage: Broad leaves suffused with a pronounced red-purple pigmentation and covered with short straw-coloured hairs.
Mature foliage: Broadly elliptic to oblanceolate on long petioles, the leaf margins incised with many serrate-dentate teeth. Leaf base attenuate, apex acute.
Fruit capsule: Narrowly ellipsoid, covered with pale straw-coloured bristles. Long style and a prominent stigma. Sterile.
Etymology: Allan Jamieson bought this cultivar at Huntfield House in the Scottish Borders well before 1998 and it was subsequently given the name ‘Huntfield’. Mrs. Sylvia McCosh, the owner of the property had originally bought plants of M. grandis (now M. gakyidiana) from Jack Drake’s Inshriach Nursery.
M. ×hybrida 'Lunanhead'
M. grandis subsp. grandis × M. simplicifolia.
Hybridised by: L. Drummond, pre-2004. Raised by: L. Drummond.
Named by: E. Stevens, 2015. Registered by: E. Stevens, 2015.
Flowering: mid-May to mid-June. Sky-blue flowers held on extremely long pedicels arising from the false whorl. Sometimes only a single flower forms but on occasion there may be between 2 and 4 per stem. The lateral facing flowers are almost flat faced with a long style and prominent narrow stigma. The oval petals are non-overlapping.
Emerging foliage: The emerging leaves are pale green and have a slight pale red-purple pigmentation on their under surface.
Mature foliage: Elliptic leaves with long petioles. The leaf margins are shallowly serrated, the base shortly attenuate and the apex sub-acute.
Fruit capsule: Narrowly ellipsoid, sparsely covered with reflexed bristles and with a prominent narrow style and stigma.
Etymology: Originally Leslie Drummond nicknamed the plants he raised from his cross recreating M. × hybrida as “Simpligrand” but the cultivar has now been named ‘Lunanhead’ after the name of the village in which he gardened.
M. integrifolia 'Aberuchill'
Named: ca. 1931.
This name has not been established by means of a published description and was most likely just an example of the species or one of the subspecies.
M. integrifolia subsp. souliei 'Wolong'
A form of the subspecies souliei.
Awards: AM (1993)
Named by: A. Furness, 1993. Registered by: The Meconopsis Group, 2017.
Monocarpic. Overwinters as a large resting bud with an attractive reddish haired emerging leaf rosette. Large pale yellow, half-nodding to semi-erect flowers.
Etymology: The cultivar was raised from home-saved seed from plants originally grown from seed collected by Hatch in the Wolong area west of Chengdu in 1983. On being awarded an Award of Merit the plant was named after the area in which it grows in nature. The cultivar, as described, seems to have been fairly typical of the subspecies.
M. 'Inverewe'
An attractive cultivar with nodding sky-blue flowers. It was grown at Inverewe for many years under the name M. betonicifolia (now baileyi) but it is sterile. It may be M. baileyi subsp. pratensis, which it closely resembles, or perhaps a hybrid.
MG Rating: ★★★★ Awards: AGM (2013)
Introduced by: J. Anderson, Inverewe Garden, 2003. Named by: The Meconopsis Group, 2007.
Registered by: The Meconopsis Group, 2007.
Flowering: May to early June. Up to 5 or 6 nodding sky-blue saucer-shaped flowers arise from the false whorl. Their slender pedicels bend to become markedly hooked close to the flowers and the flowers face downwards when they first open. The petals are ovate, slightly overlapping and undulate on their margins. As the flowers age they become more lateral facing and the seed capsules are erect when mature.
Emerging foliage: The emerging rosette of leaves is intensely suffused with a red-purple pigmentation. The leaf laminas are elliptical with cordate or truncate bases and obtuse tips.
Mature foliage: Long petioled, the lamina is rather oblong with a cordate or truncate base and sub-obtuse apex. The leaf margins are incised with crenate-dentate teeth.
Fruit capsule: Ovoid to ellipsoid with a dense covering of short bristles. Short wide style with a prominent rounded stigma. Sterile.
Etymology: Named after Inverewe Garden, Wester Ross.
M. 'Inverleith'
A cultivar probably of garden origin with an affinity to M. gakyidiana and many features in common with M. ‘Ascreavie’.
MG Rating: ★★★
Introduced by: Mr. Chalmers, pre-1965. Named by: The Meconopsis Group, 2009.
Registered by: The Meconopsis Group, 2009.
Flowering: late-May to June. 2, 3 or 4 long narrow pointed flower buds arise from the false whorl of jagged bract leaves which twist towards their acute apex. The deep blue to purple-blue flowers are “windmill-shaped” with long narrow non-overlapping elliptic petals which have undulate margins.
Emerging foliage: The late emerging firm broad leaves are intensely suffused with a red-purple pigmentation and densely covered with short hairs.
Mature foliage: Elliptic to oblong-elliptic blades on long petioles. The leaf margins are deeply incised with serrate hooked teeth, the lamina base is shortly attenuate and the apex acute.
Fruit capsule: Narrowly ellipsoid with a long slender style and neat stigma. The capsule is densely covered with short spreading bristles. Sterile.
Etymology: This plant, labelled M. grandis GS600, has been grown at the Royal Botanical Garden Edinburgh since at least 1965 and was originally donated to the RBGE by Mr. Chalmers the head gardener of Balbirnie Gardens, Fife. It is distinctive and the plant has been given the cultivar name ‘Inverleith’ after the district in which the RBGE is located.
M. 'Isa Hall'
Syn. M. 'Springhill'
M. 'James Aitken'
A cultivar of garden origin closely related to M. ‘Keillour’.
Named by: E. Stevens, 2015. Registered by: E. Stevens, 2015.
Flowering: mid-May to June. Saucer-shaped, half-nodding to lateral facing, dark blue-purple flowers with a paler blue centre. The broadly ovate petals are overlapping and pleated.
Emerging foliage: Late emerging firm broad upright leaves on short, winged petioles.
Mature foliage: The mature elliptic-oblong basal leaves have short and often narrowly winged petioles. The lamina base is shortly attenuate and the apex sub-obtuse. The leaf margins are shallowly crenate.
Fruit capsule: Relatively short and broadly barrel-shaped, densely covered with straw-coloured bristles. Short squat style and a large broad stigma.
Etymology: Named after James Aitken, a nurseryman in Perth, who had been given this cultivar by Mrs Knox-Finlay of Keillour Castle as ‘Betty's Dream Poppy’. It does not show the characteristics of the George Sherriff Group however and is obviously closely related to M. ‘Keillour’.
M. 'Jimmy Bayne' (George Sherriff Group)
A cultivar probably of garden origin with an affinity to M. gakyidiana. M. ‘Jimmy Bayne’ has a neater and less robust appearance than the other George Sherriff Group members. Some distinguishing features are that the tips of its basal leaves tend to be less acute and the style of the fruit capsule is slightly shorter and broader than other members of this Group.
MG Rating: ★★★★ Awards: AM (2005)
Introduced by: J. Bayne. Named by: E. Stevens, 1997.
Registered by: The Meconopsis Group, 2002.
Flowering: late May-June. Two or three nodding to half-nodding, blue or mauve-blue flowers arise from the false whorl. Their petals are broadly oval to somewhat rounded. They are initially broadly overlapping to form elegant bowl-shaped flowers which have smooth and only very slightly undulate margins.
Emerging foliage: Broad leaves suffused with a pronounced red-purple pigmentation and densely covered with short straw-coloured hairs.
Mature foliage: Broadly elliptic on long petioles, the leaf margins notched with many crenate-dentate teeth. Leaf base shortly attenuate, apex sub-acute to sub-obtuse.
Fruit capsule: Narrowly ellipsoid, covered with short pale straw-coloured bristles. Medium length sturdy style with a prominent stigma. Essentially sterile
Etymology: Named after Jimmy Bayne who had given it to Evelyn Stevens in the early 1980s. He had obtained it in about 1962 from a garden in Dunblane.
M. 'Jim's Ex'
Raised by: S. Pawley.
This name which is not yet registered has been given to fertile plants raised from viable seed collected from the fruit capsules of M. ‘Jimmy Bayne’. These seed raised plants appear to show some variability and the cultivar has not yet been properly circumscribed by means of a published description.
M. 'John Lawson' (George Sherriff Group)
A cultivar which is probably of garden origin but has an affinity to M. gakyidiana. It has many features in common with M. ‘Ascreavie’ but is rather smaller and shorter in stature.
Named by: E. Stevens, 2015. Registered by: E. Stevens, 2015.
Flowering: late-May to June. 2 or 3 long narrow pointed flower buds arise from the false whorl of jagged bract leaves which have acute apices. The deep blue to purple-blue half-nodding flowers are “windmill-shaped” with long narrow non-overlapping elliptic petals which have undulate margins.
Emerging foliage: The late emerging firm broad leaves are intensely suffused with a red-purple pigmentation and densely covered with short pale hairs.
Mature foliage: The mature basal leaves are elliptic to lanceolate-elliptic on long petioles. Their margins are deeply incised with serrate teeth, the lamina base is attenuate and the apex acute.
Fruit capsule: Narrowly ellipsoid and densely covered with short spreading bristles. Tipped with a long slender style and neat stigma. Sterile.
Etymology: The cultivar has been named after the late John Lawson who owned Inshriach Nursery for many years. It was originally donated by John to The Meconopsis Group naming trial as M. ‘Branklyn'.
M. 'John Mitchell'
A cultivar with an affinity to M. × sheldonii. It had originally been purchased by L. Newby from Edrom Nurseries as “original M. × sheldonii”.
Introduced by: L. Newby, 2000. Named by: E. Stevens, 2015.
Registered by: E. Stevens, 2015.
Flowering: mid-May to mid-June. Three or four, nodding to half-nodding, large sky-blue flowers arising from the false whorl. The overlapping petals are broadly ovate with undulate margins.
Emerging foliage: Elliptic upright leaves covered with long, white-tipped spreading hairs.
Mature foliage: Narrow elliptic to elliptic-lanceolate lamina on long petioles. The leaf margins shallowly notched with small crenate teeth. Lamina base attenuate, apex acute.
Fruit capsule: Narrowly ellipsoid and covered with long pale straw-coloured bristles. Long narrow style and a slender stigma.
Etymology: Named after John Mitchell, the Alpine Supervisor at the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh and Chairman of The Meconopsis Group from 2001 to 2018.
M. 'Kaye's Compact'
See M. quintuplinervia 'Kaye's Compact'
M. 'Keillour'
A very distinctive cultivar of uncertain origin.
MG Rating: ★★★★ Awards: AGM (2013)
Introduced by: S. Pawley and A. Innes. Named by: The Meconopsis Group, 2002.
Registered by: The Meconopsis Group, 2002.
Flowering: mid-May to early-June. Deep blue, saucer-shaped flowers with a paler blue centre. Half-nodding on first opening but later becoming lateral facing. Their overlapping petals are rounded to broadly ovate and slightly pleated.
Emerging foliage: Pale green, firm, broadly elliptical-oblanceolate upright leaves on short, winged petioles.
Mature foliage: The mature basal leaves have broadly elliptical-oblanceolate lamina on short petioles. The leaf base is attenuate and the apex sub-obtuse. The leaf margins are shallowly and crenately notched.
Fruit capsule: Broadly ellipsoid with deeply grooved sutures, densely covered with pale straw-coloured bristles. Short broad style topped with a prominent rounded stigma.
Etymology: M. ‘Keillour’ is thought to have originated at Keillour Castle in Perthshire which was the former home of Major and Mrs Knox-Finlay. The cultivar was submitted to The Meconopsis Group naming trial in 2001 by Stuart Pawley who had received it from Alan Innes the gardener at Keillour Castle.
M. 'Keillour Crimson'
See M. grandis subsp. grandis 'Keillour Crimson'
M. 'Keillour Violet'
A fertile cultivar of uncertain origin but which probably has M. grandis subsp. grandis in its parentage. Best raised by division as seed raised plants may show some variation.
Introduced by: S. Pawley, 2012. Named by: E. Stevens, 2015.
Registered by: E. Stevens, 2015.
Flowering: May. Violet-blue flowers with a prominent narrow style and stigma are carried on long scapes. The petals of the plants grown in Stuart Pawley’s garden were obovate, slightly fluted and undulate with little or no overlap at the petal base. Plants of this cultivar grown in Evelyn Steven’s garden had rather ragged looking, more elliptical petals, longer with a less rounded and more acute distal edge.
Mature foliage: The spreading basal leaves are carried on long petioles. Their lamina are narrowly elliptic-oblong with margins that are almost entire. The leaf base is attenuate and the apex acute to sub-acute.
Fruit capsule: Narrowly ellipsoid with a short style and prominent stigma. Fully fertile.
Etymology: The plant now named M. ‘Keillour Violet’ came from the garden of Stuart Pawley who lived opposite Keillour Castle. Its origins are uncertain.
M. 'Kilbryde Castle Blue'
Syn. M. 'Crarae'
M. 'Kilbryde Castle White'
A cultivar of garden origin related to M. gakyidiana. It has similarities to M. ‘Ascreavie White’ and may be synonymous with it but carries a separate name because M. ‘Kilbryde Castle White’ has longer, narrower, less coarsely toothed basal leaves and its petals are often blue veined when the buds first open.
Named by: E. Stevens, 2015. Registered by: E. Stevens, 2015.
Flowering: mid-May to early June. White flowers with a nodding or semi-nodding aspect. The pedicels elongate significantly as the flowers mature and the fruit capsules develop. Petals elliptic-ovate with undulate erose margins, overlapping at their base to form a cup-shaped flower. The newly opening petals are often blue veined but this fades to become a purer white as the flowers develop.
Emerging foliage: Early emerging erect leaves without any red-purple pigmentation but densely covered with long straw-coloured hairs with white tips.
Mature foliage: The mature basal leaves have long petioles and narrow elliptic-oblanceolate blades, their upper margins notched with serrate teeth. Leaf tips acute, leaf base attenuate.
Fruit capsule: Long and narrowly ellipsoid. Densely covered with reflexed bristles. Narrow style. Sterile.
Etymology: This plant was obtained from Kilbryde Castle, Dunblane in about 1994.
M. 'Kingsbarns'
A fertile cultivar of garden origin. This cultivar reportedly arose from a single plant of M. × sheldonii which produced viable seed. The resulting progeny were also fertile but variable in form and colour. In appearance it is similar to plants of M. grandis subsp. grandis. Originally named M. ‘Kingsbarns Hybrid' but renamed M. ‘Kingsbarns' on registration to meet the naming requirements of the ICNCP.
MG Rating: ★★
Introduced by: J. Cobb. Named by: J. Cobb, 1989.
Registered by: The Meconopsis Group, 2006.
Flowering: May to early-June. A single blue or mauve-blue, 4 to 6 petalled, lateral facing, saucer-shaped flower arises from the false whorl of stem bracts. The undulate petals are elliptic to oval-elliptic in shape with only a slight overlap at their base. Initially the flowers open just above the foliage but their pedicels elongate very quickly and at maturity the fruit capsules are held well above the foliage.
Emerging foliage: Narrowly elliptic pale green leaves with almost entire margins. Leaf base attenuate and the apex acute.
Mature foliage: The mature basal leaves are similarly narrowly elliptic and attenuate with an acute apex. Their margins are essentially entire with only a few remote shallow teeth.
Fruit capsule: Broadly ellipsoid and glabrous. Short thick style. Filled with fully fertile seed.
Etymology: Named after the village in which James Cobb resided.
M. 'Kingsbarns Hybrids'
Syn. M. 'Kingsbarns'.
M. 'Lingholm' (Fertile Blue Group)
A fully fertile and robust but variable cultivar which is readily raised from seed. The best forms are very elegant.
MG Rating: ★★★★★ Awards: AM (2005)
Named by: M. Swift, pre-2000. Registered by: The Meconopsis Group, 2002.
Flowering: mid-May to June. Sky-blue, half-nodding to lateral facing, saucer-shaped flowers with broadly overlapping petals which are ovate and slightly fluted. There are usually two to four flowers arising on short pedicels from the false whorl on each stem but one or two other flowers may come later from the upper leaf axils.
Emerging foliage: Ascending, broadly lanceolate and slightly boat-shaped leaves on short sturdy petioles. The young leaves are densely covered with long, pale brown, white-tipped hairs giving them a furry appearance.
Mature foliage: The mature basal leaves are long-petioled, the lamina elliptic-oblong with a shortly attenuate base and a sub-acute apex. The leaf margins are irregularly and shallowly notched.
Fruit capsule: Narrowly ellipsoid and densely covered with pale straw white-tipped bristles. Long narrow style and narrow stigma. Fully fertile.
Etymology: The cultivar was given its name after Lingholm Garden, near Keswick. It is known that in the early 1960s Digby and Roger Nelson found that a plant of M. × sheldonii in their garden at Brampton had produced viable seed. The plant had originally been purchased from Inshriach Nursery, Aviemore. Plants were raised from the collected seed, and they also proved to be fully fertile. Seed was later given to Lingholm Garden and from there plants were raised and erroneously sold in large numbers to garden visitors as M. grandis. When Mike Swift took over as Head Gardener at Lingholm in 1984 he recognised that this name was incorrect and initially changed the name to M. × sheldonii ‘Lingholm strain’ and then later to M. × sheldonii ‘Lingholm’. However, both M. × sheldonii and M. ‘Slieve Donard’ (a known example of M. × sheldonii) should be sterile because of a chromosome mismatch, and it has now been established that M. ‘Lingholm’ has twice as many chromosomes as either M. × sheldonii or M. ‘Slieve Donard’. It is this chromosome doubling that has made M. ‘Lingholm’ fully fertile. The cultivar is not therefore an example of M. × sheldonii and should not be named as such. With Mike’s agreement the cultivar name was simplified to ‘Lingholm’ and this name was confirmed by The Meconopsis Group in 2000 and subsequently registered.
M. 'Louise' (Fertile Blue Group)
A distinctive selection from ‘Lingholm’ which is only partially fertile and should be maintained by division. The flowers are pale sky-blue and flat faced.
MG Rating: ★★★
Named by: L. Newby, 1999. Registered by: The Meconopsis Group, 2007.
Flowering: mid-May to June. Pale sky-blue, half-nodding to lateral facing, flat-faced flowers which look almost square, particularly when viewed from the rear. Their overlapping petals are broad and roundly ovate, slightly fluted and with an undulate edge. Two to four flowers usually form on short pedicels from the false whorl of each stem but one or two other flowers may come later from the upper leaf axils.
Emerging foliage: Ascending and broadly lanceolate on short sturdy petioles. The young leaves are slightly suffused with a red-purple pigmentation and are densely covered with long, pale brown, white-tipped hairs.
Mature foliage: The mature basal leaves are long-petioled, the lamina elliptic-oblong with a shortly attenuate base and a sub-acute to sub-obtuse apex. The leaf margins are regularly and shallowly notched with small serrate teeth.
Fruit capsule: Narrowly ellipsoid and densely covered with pale straw white-tipped bristles. Long narrow style topped with a prominent rounded stigma. Rarely produces viable seed.
Etymology: Les Newby named this cultivar after his granddaughter.
M. 'Lunanhead'
See M. × hybrida 'Lunanhead'
M. 'Maggie Sharp'
This cultivar is probably a M. × sheldonii hybrid. It is a sterile clone with small, almost circular, flat-faced, sky-blue flowers.
MG Rating: ★★★ Awards: PC (2009)
Introduced by: Maggie Sharp. Named by: The Meconopsis Group, 2002.
Registered by: The Meconopsis Group, 2002.
Flowering: May. One to three flowers emerge from the false whorl with later subsidiary flowers from the upper leaf axils. The pale sky-blue saucer-shaped flowers are initially slightly nodding but then become more lateral facing and flat-faced. Their overlapping petals are ovate to slightly rounded and slightly fluted and undulate.
Emerging foliage: Late emerging, upright, narrowly elliptic, boat-shaped leaves which are initially intensely suffused with a red-purple pigmentation and densely covered with long, pale-straw-coloured hairs. The midribs of the leaves are prominently whitish.
Mature foliage: The basal leaves tend to spread on long petioles and retain their whitish mid-rib. Their lamina are narrowly oblong-elliptic with a shortly attenuate base which is often asymmetrical. The apex is sub-acute and the leaf margins are irregularly notched with serrate-dentate teeth.
Fruit capsule: Long and narrowly oblong-elliptic with a slender style and stigma. The capsule body is densely covered with long spreading pale straw-coloured bristles. Sterile.
Etymology: Named after Maggie Sharp who had bought the plant at Branklyn Garden in about 1976.
M. 'Marit'
A very elegant cultivar with pure white flowers.
MG Rating: ★★★★ Awards: PC (2005), AM (2009), AGM (2013)
Raised by: M. Espejord. First flowered by: M. Espejord.
Introduced by: F. Haugli, 1998. Named by: F. Haugli, pre-1998.
Registered by: The Meconopsis Group, 2006.
Flowering: Early to mid-season. The pure white flowers are initially cup-shaped and nodding to semi-nodding but later become more lateral facing with a more open bowl shape. Their ovate petals are broadly overlapping with slightly erose and undulate margins. There are normally about 3 or 4 flowers arising on short pedicels from the apex of the false whorl.
Emerging foliage: Pale green erect lanceolate leaves which are densely covered with long ginger hairs.
Mature foliage: Relatively narrow elliptic blades with a pale mid-rib and a sub-acute apex. The upper leaf margins are regularly notched with neat serrate teeth.
Fruit capsule: Short ellipsoid body with a relatively broad style and rounded stigma. The capsule is densely covered with long ginger bristles. Sterile.
Etymology: Named after the raiser, Marit Espejord, Tromso. 'Marit' was a selection from one of three seedlings from the cross. Reputedly a cross between M. ‘Lingholm' and M. x sarsonsii (seed parent) but the true identity of the M. x sarsonsii must be subject to some doubt as it was raised from seed obtained from a seed exchange and M. x sarsonsii is not itself fertile.
M. 'Mervyn Kessell'
A large flowered, very late flowering cultivar of garden origin.
MG Rating: ★★★
Named by: The Meconopsis Group, 2007. Registered by: The Meconopsis Group, 2007.
Flowering: late May to early July. This plant was initially nicknamed “Clocktower” because of the way in which each of the 2 to 4 lateral facing, saucer-shaped flowers arising from the same false whorl position themselves to face in a different direction to the others. The large flowers are usually purple on first opening but quickly change to blue. Their ovate to rounded petals are smooth edged and slightly overlapping.
Emerging foliage: late emerging, thick textured leaves densely covered with dark hairs.
Mature foliage: erect, oblong-elliptic blades with neat crenate-dentate marginal teeth. The apex is sub-obtuse and the base attenuate.
Fruit capsule: ellipsoid with a short broad style and a large rounded stigma. The capsule is densely covered with short bristles.
Etymology: named in memory of the late Mervyn Kessell who was a co-founder of The Meconopsis Group. The plant came without a name from Branklyn Garden in about 1994.
M. 'Mildred' (Fertile Blue Group)
A distinctive pale turquoise-blue, early flowering selection from ‘Lingholm’. It is partially fertile but should be maintained by division.
MG Rating: ★★★★★ Awards: PC (2013)
Introduced by: J & M Thompson, 2004. Named by: The Meconopsis Group, 2011.
Registered by: The Meconopsis Group, 2011.
Flowering: mid-May to June. Pale turquoise-blue, half-nodding to lateral facing, saucer-shaped flowers. The broadly overlapping petals are wide and roundly ovate with a slightly undulate edge. Three or four flowers usually arise from the false whorl of each stem.
Emerging foliage: Ascending, broadly lanceolate and slightly boat-shaped leaves on short sturdy petioles. The young leaves are densely covered with long, pale brown, white-tipped hairs.
Mature foliage: The mature basal leaves are long-petioled and the elliptic-oblong lamina is edged with serrate-dentate teeth. The lamina has a broad base which is obtuse or sometimes very shortly attenuate and the apex is sub-acute to sub-obtuse.
Fruit capsule: Narrowly ellipsoid and densely covered with pale straw white-tipped bristles. Long narrow, sometimes slightly twisted style topped with a prominent rounded stigma. Produces some viable seed which may not come true.
Etymology: Jim and Mildred Thompson bought this plant at a street market in Auchtermuchty, Fife and it has been named after Mildred.
M. 'Miss Jebb'
Syn. M. 'Mrs Jebb'.
M. 'Mop-head' (Fertile Blue Group)
A very early flowering cultivar with exceptionally large flowers.
MG Rating: ★★★★★ Awards: AGM (2013)
Raised by: E. Young. First flowered by: E. Young.
Introduced by: E. Young, 2002. Named by: The Meconopsis Group, 2007.
Registered by: The Meconopsis Group, 2007.
Flowering: Early in May. Very large deep sky-blue flowers with broadly elliptical to ovate petals which have undulate margins and slightly overlap at their base. The flowers are deeply cupped and nodding at first but open up to become more bowl shaped and lateral facing in the sunlight. They initially open on short pedicels just above the foliage but their stems lengthen enormously as the flowers mature and the fruit capsules develop.
Emerging foliage: Erect elliptic deep green blades with a sub-acute apex and densely covered with long pale brown hairs.
Mature foliage: Erect long petioled basal leaves. Elliptic to elliptic-oblanceolate blades with their margins largely entire but slightly sinuate. Apex acute to sub-acute, base attenuate.
Fruit capsule: Long and narrowly oblong-elliptical with a twisted style and a prominent stigma. The capsule body is clothed with long dark bristles.
Etymology: Named ‘Mop-head’ because of its exceptionally large flowers. Liz Young selected this clone from a number of plants she raised from seed received as M. grandis from the SRGC seed exchange. The cultivar would appear to have M. grandis subsp. grandis very prominent in its parentage.
M. 'Mrs Jebb' (Infertile Blue Group)
A cultivar of medium height, shorter than most of the other big blue poppies, with lateral facing deep blue saucer-shaped flowers.
MG Rating: ★★★★ Awards: AM (2006), AGM (2013)
Named by: The Meconopsis Group, 2000. Registered by: The Meconopsis Group, 2002.
Flowering: mid-May to June. Deep blue, lateral facing, shallow saucer shaped flowers carried on short sturdy pedicels. The orbicular petals are somewhat pleated with undulate, erose margins and are deeply overlapping.
Emerging foliage: The firm narrow leaves are suffused with a red-purple pigment and have a brownish cast.
Mature foliage: The basal leaves are long-petioled with elliptic blades regularly incised with shallow crenate teeth on their margins. The apex of the lamina obtuse to sub-obtuse and the base broadly attenuate.
Fruit capsule: Ellipsoid with a short broad style and globular stigma. The capsule is densely covered with short bristles. Sterile.
Etymology: Named after Mrs. Jebb who grew this clone in her Dumfriesshire garden. (N.B. This cultivar had previously been known as either ‘Miss Jebbs’ or ‘Mrs Jebb’. The Meconopsis Group confirmed the name as ‘Mrs Jebb’ on registration.) After her death the new owners of the property, Mr. and Mrs. McLaren, gave a piece of the plant to Mollie Sanderson who gardened in Ireland in about 1970. She in turn gave a division to Margaret and Henry Taylor who distributed it extensively in Scotland. It is thought that the clone may have originated from Inshriach Nursery at a time when ‘Crewdson Hybrid’ was still fertile and was being raised from seed.
M. 'Mrs McMurtrie'
Syn. M. 'Bobby Masterton'.
M. 'Murray Lyon'
Syn. M. 'Ardcuil'
M. 'Old Rose'
See M. × cookei 'Old Rose'
M. 'Ormsacre'
Syn. M. 'Ormswell'
M. 'Ormswell'
A scarce cultivar, similar to M. ‘Slieve Donard’. The clone now in cultivation is difficult to grow and seems to lack vigour.
Named by: Edrom Nurseries, 1940s. Registered by: E. Stevens, 2015.
Flowering: Mid-season. Elegant sky-blue flowers with ovate, broadly overlapping petals.
Emerging foliage: Erect, narrow elliptic leaves suffused with a red-purple pigmentation. The lamina densely clothed with short hairs and the margins shallowly indented with small serrate teeth.
Mature foliage: The basal leaves have an elliptic lamina with a sub-acute apex and a broadly attenuate base. They lack any red-purple pigmentation and their margins are rather irregularly incised with shallow serrate teeth.
Fruit capsule: Narrowly ellipsoid with a long narrow style and prominent stigma. The capsules are devoid of any bristles along the sutures between the carpels.
Etymology: The result of a cross between M. baileyi and M. grandis subsp. grandis made in about 1935 by Dr. A. Curle in Edinburgh. Plants from this cross were given to Edrom Nurseries and these were named M. ‘Ormswell', probably by mistake as the name of Dr. Curle’s house and garden was Ormsacre. Other plants from Dr. Curle’s cross eventually reached Slieve Donard Nursery in Northern Ireland. They were initially sold in the late 1950s as M. grandis Prain’s Variety but were subsequently given the name M. ‘Slieve Donard' in 1967. The clone of M. ‘Ormswell’ now in cultivation had been obtained from Edrom Nurseries by Les Newby and was submitted to The Meconopsis Group naming trial in 1999.
M. 'P.C. Abildgaard'
A robust, very floriferous cultivar.
MG Rating: ★★★★ Awards: PC (2008), AM (2009), AGM (2013)
Introduced by: Troels Juhl. Named by: Troels Juhl, 2007.
Registered by: The Meconopsis Group, 2007.
Flowering: mid-May to June. Between 4 and 7 saucer-shaped, sky-blue flowers arise from the false whorl and additional later flowers often form in the upper leaf axils. The flowers are lateral-facing to half-nodding. Their oval petals are slightly undulate with an erose margin and hardly overlap.
Emerging foliage: Sturdy elliptic leaves densely covered with long, pale, white-tipped hairs.
Mature foliage: The basal foliage leaves are oblong or oblong-elliptic with a sub-obtuse apex and with a base which can be either truncate or shortly attenuate. The leaf margins are indented with regular serrate-dentate teeth.
Fruit capsule: Narrowly ellipsoid with a slender style and stigma. The capsule body is covered with long pale-straw coloured spreading bristles. Sometimes sets seed.
Etymology: This clone was submitted to The Meconopsis Group naming trial by Troels Juhl from a division of a plant growing in the Horticultural Garden at the Royal Veterinary and Agricultural University, Copenhagen. This plant which was incorrectly labelled M. betonicifolia (now baileyi) had been raised from seed distributed by the Danish Primula Society in 1989. On trial it was found to be a distinct robust cultivar and was named in 2007 after the founder of the university, Professor P.C. Abildgaard.
M. paniculata 'Ghopte'
Another form of M. paniculata with ginger/gold hairy rosettes raised from wild seed collected in 1994.
Named by: Aberconwy Nursery, ca. 1997.
M. paniculata 'Ghunsa'
A form of M. paniculata raised from seed collected in 1993 in east Nepal with neat rosettes of scarcely lobed leaves which have a gingery-orange flush prominent in the autumn and winter months.
Named by: Aberconwy Nursery, ca. 1997.
M. 'Peter Cox'
A distinct tall cultivar with deep blue flowers.
Named by: E. Stevens, 2015. Registered by: E. Stevens, 2015.
Flowering: mid-May to June. Nodding dark blue flowers held on long pedicels which lengthen significantly as the fruit capsule develops. The mature flowers are deeply cup-shaped with broadly overlapping undulate petals.
Emerging foliage: Broadly elliptic pale green leaves with serrate-dentate teeth in their margins.
Mature foliage: The basal leaves are broadly elliptic with a sub-acute to sub-obtuse apex and a shortly attenuate base. The leaf margins are incised in their upper parts with a few serrate-dentate teeth.
Fruit capsule: Broadly ellipsoid with a thick style and a prominent rounded stigma. The capsule body densely covered with spreading straw-coloured bristles. Sterile.
Etymology: Named after Peter Cox of Glendoick, Perth who donated a division of the plant to The Meconopsis Group naming trial. He had previously been given it many years ago by the late Sir Colin Campbell of Kilbryde Castle.
M. 'Pitnacrie'
Syn. M. 'Barney's Blue'. Betty Sherriff had given this plant to Sue Southwell and her husband as "Betty's Dream Poppy".
M. 'Pride of Angus'
This cultivar name has not yet been established by means of a published description.
M. punicea 'Sichuan Silk'
A perennial form of M. punicea which can be propagated from runners originating from the established crown. It has proved to be reliably perennial but is a little paler and a duller red in colour than species M. punicea raised from seed.
Awards: PC (2012)
Named by: I. Christie, 2012. Registered by: The Meconopsis Group, 2017.
M. 'Quarriston'
Named: pre-1989.
No plants are known to us now under this cultivar name which has not been established by means of a published description.
M. quintuplinervia 'Farrer's form'
An invalid cultivar name which has not been established by means of a published description.
M. quintuplinervia 'Kaye's Compact'
A compact fertile form of M. quintuplinervia which at 30cm is about half the height of some other forms of the species.
Named by: R. Kaye, pre-1989. Registered by: The Meconopsis Group, 2017.
M. 'Satin'
See M. × cookei ‘Satin’
M. ×sheldonii
This is the hybrid M. grandis subsp. grandis × M. baileyi. It was first raised by W.G. Sheldon in Oxted, Surrey in 1934 using the Nepal form of M. grandis as the seed parent. The cross has been made many times and M. 'Slieve Donard' and M. 'Ormswell' are undoubtedly examples of M. × sheldonii. The provenance of some other purported examples is less certain.
M. 'Sichuan Silk'
See M. punicea 'Sichuan Silk'
M. simplicifolia × baileyi 'Blue Butterfly'
M. simplicifolia ×
Raised by: E. Young. Introduced by: E. Young.
Named by: E. Stevens, 2015. Registered by: E. Stevens, 2015.
Flowering: May-June. Nodding sky-blue saucer shaped flowers on long pedicels. Petals ovate to elliptical, slightly frilled and only slightly overlapping.
Emerging foliage: Spreading pale green elliptical leaves. Leaf base truncate or shortly attenuate, apex sub-obtuse, dentate teeth on the leaf margins.
Mature foliage: Basal leaves elliptic to paddle shaped with pronounced serrate-dentate teeth on their margins. Leaf base truncate or shortly attenuate, apex sub-obtuse.
Fruit capsule: Narrowly-ellipsoid, covered with red-orange reflexed bristles, prominent style. Basically sterile but occasionally produces a few fertile seeds.
Etymology: Named ‘Blue Butterfly’ because of the way the flowers float and flutter in the breeze.
M. 'Slieve Donard' (Infertile Blue Group)
An outstanding sterile cultivar with elegant sky-blue flowers that has deservedly won many awards.
MG Rating: ★★★★★ Awards: AGM (1993), FCC (2005), AGM (2013)
Named by: Slieve Donard Nursery, 1967. Registered by: The Meconopsis Group, 2002.
Flowering: mid-May to June. Sky-blue nodding to semi-nodding flowers with a very prominent long and narrow style. The roundly ovate overlapping petals have a silky appearance and a slightly undulate margin.
Emerging foliage: Slender, upright green leaves that have a distinctly furry appearance because of their dense covering of long, pale white-tipped hairs. The leaves usually lack any red-purple suffusion except occasionally on their lower surface.
Mature foliage: The basal leaves have narrow elliptical blades with a distinct white mid-rib. The margins of the lamina are essentially entire, the apex sub-acute apex and the base attenuate.
Fruit capsule: Narrowly ellipsoid with a prominent long narrow style. Both the carpels and sutures are covered with long, white-tipped, pale straw-coloured bristles. Sterile.
Etymology: The result of a cross between M. baileyi and M. grandis subsp. grandis made in about 1935 by Dr. A. Curle in Edinburgh. Plants from this cross were given to friends and eventually reached Slieve Donard Nursery in Northern Ireland. They were originally sold under the invalid name M. grandis Prain’s Variety in the late 1950s but were given the name M. ‘Slieve Donard’ in 1967. Other plants from this same cross had previously been given by Dr. Curle to Edrom Nurseries and were sold as M. ‘Ormswell' from the 1940s. M. ‘Slieve Donard’ is similar to the clone which is known as M. ‘Ormswell’ today but shows some differences and has much more vigour.
M. 'Springhill'
A late flowering cultivar, probably of garden origin with an affinity to M. gakyidiana.
Named: pre-1989. Registered by: E. Stevens, 2015.
Flowering: late-May to early July. Large, deep blue saucer-shaped flowers with a slight purple tinge. Their petals ovate, smooth-edged and only moderately overlapping.
Emerging foliage: The late emerging leaves are relatively broad and are suffused with a red-purple pigmentation.
Mature foliage: The elliptic to oblong-elliptic basal leaves have a shortly attenuate base and a sub-acute to sub-obtuse apex. The lamina margins have only 4 to 5 teeth, fewer in number than other members of the George Sherriff Group.
Fruit capsule: Narrowly ellipsoid with a relatively stout long style. The capsule body dense covered with light straw-coloured spreading bristles. Sterile.
Etymology: The plant in The Meconopsis Group naming trial was purchased by Evelyn Stevens in 1997 at Logan Botanic Garden where it once grew in large beds. The origin of its name is uncertain.
M. 'Steve McNamara'
A deep-purple flowered form selected from plants of M. ‘Lingholm’.
Named by: E. Stevens, 2015. Registered by: E. Stevens, 2015.
Flowering: mid-May to mid-June.
Emerging foliage: Elliptic, ascending, green leaves densely covered with pale straw-coloured, white-tipped hairs.
Mature foliage: The basal leaves are broadly oblong-elliptic with a shortly attenuate base and a sub-obtuse to sub-acute apex. The leaf margins are essentially sub-entire.
Etymology: Named after Steve McNamara the former Garden Manager and Head Gardener at Branklyn Garden, Perth. The original deep-purple flowered plant given this cultivar name was selected from a batch of young seed-raised M. ‘Lingholm' plants purchased by Branklyn Garden but has not yet been proven to be fully stable in colour.
M. 'Stewart Annand'
A tall, late flowering cultivar.
MG Rating: ★★★
Named by: The Meconopsis Group, 2007. Registered by: The Meconopsis Group, 2007.
Flowering: late-May to mid-July. Half-nodding to lateral facing, shallow bowl-shaped blue flowers, sometimes with a purple tint. Their petals are oval in shape with undulate margins and are only slightly overlapping in their lower half.
Emerging foliage: The thick textured elliptic leaves initially have a slight suffusion of red purple pigmentation and are late to emerge.
Mature foliage: The basal leaves are narrowly elliptic with an acute to sub-acute apex and an attenuate base. The leaf margins are shallowly serrated with small teeth over their full length.
Fruit capsule: Ellipsoid with a fairly broad style and prominent stigma. The capsule body is densely covered with spreading straw-coloured bristles. Sterile.
Etymology: This cultivar was named ‘Stewart Annand’ after a former head gardener at Branklyn Garden, Perth. He had given it to M & P Stone in 1976 and they gave a division of this plant labelled “Branklyn ex Stewart Annand” to The Meconopsis Group naming trial in 1998.
M. 'Strathspey'
See M. grandis 'Strathspey'
M. 'Sue Barnes'
A cultivar with “windmill-shaped” flowers similar to those of M. ‘Ascreavie’ which has an affinity to M. gakyidiana.
Named by: E. Stevens, 2015. Registered by: E. Stevens, 2015.
Flowering: June to early July. The deep blue to purple-blue flowers, usually 3 or 4, arise on short pedicels from a whorl of leaf like bracts with acute tips. Their long narrow elliptic petals have undulate margins and are non-overlapping.
Emerging foliage: Late emerging broadly elliptical leaves densely covered with pale short hairs. The emerging leaves do not show the red-purple pigmentation which is typical of M. ‘Ascreavie’ and other similar cultivars.
Mature foliage: The mature basal leaves are broadly elliptical to elliptical-ovate with long petioles. The lamina base is shortly attenuate and the apex acute to sub-acute. The leaf margins are deeply serrated.
Fruit capsule: Narrowly ellipsoid and covered with short pale bristles. Long narrow style and slender stigma. Essentially sterile.
Etymology: Named after Sue Barnes of Biggar Park who submitted this plant to The Meconopsis Group naming trial in 2001. She had originally been given it by Sylvia McCosh the owner of Dalemain and Huntfield House.
M. 'Susan's Reward' (George Sherriff Group)
A vigorous clone with very attractive broad bowl-shaped deep blue flowers. It has an affinity to M. gakyidiana.
MG Rating: ★★★★★ Awards: AGM (2013)
Named by: The Meconopsis Group, 2009. Registered by: The Meconopsis Group, 2009.
Flowering: late May-June. Deep blue tinged with purple. Ovate broadly overlapping petals. Several flowers on short stems emerge from a whorl of leaf-like bracts on a well clothed stem.
Emerging foliage: Broad leaves suffused with a red-purple pigmentation and densely covered with short hairs.
Mature foliage: The large broad elliptical leaves give a leafy appearance to the plant. The basal leaves have a cuneate to cordate base and sub-acute apex. Their margins are regularly notched with neat serrate teeth.
Fruit capsule: Fruit capsules: Ellipsoid, covered with short bristles. Moderately short style. Does not usually produce viable seed.
Etymology: Named by Sue Sym who was given this clone by Betty Sherriff in 1972 from her garden at Ascreavie.
M. 'Willie Duncan'
An attractive and robust cultivar that has an affinity to M. baileyi.
MG Rating: ★★★★ Awards: PC (2008)
Named by: The Meconopsis Group, 2000. Registered by: The Meconopsis Group, 2002.
Flowering: mid-June to mid-July. Deep sky-blue or mauve-blue, bowl shaped, semi-nodding flowers carried on relatively short pedicels. The rounded petals are widely overlapping and slightly undulate.
Emerging foliage: Broad, firm, pale green leaves covered with short pale hairs.
Mature foliage: The basal leaves are oblong-elliptic with a sub-acute apex and an asymmetric truncate or sometimes cordate base. The leaf margins are indented with neat serrate-dentate teeth along their full length.
Fruit capsule: Ovoid-ellipsoid with a long, stout, twisted style and prominent stigma. The capsule body is densely covered with short pale reflexed bristles.
Etymology: Named after Willie Duncan, former Garden Superintendent of Silverburn Park in Fife, who had raised it in about 1972 from seed which was listed in the SRGC seed exchange as M. grandis.
M. 'Wolong'
See M. integrifolia subsp. souliei 'Wolong'