February 2022 – A Plantsman's World

Best known as the Blue Poppy or Tibetan Blue Poppy, Meconopsis baileyi (syn. Meconopsis betonicifolia) has probably the clearest blue of any flower and is one of my absolute favourites. Living on acid soil in the damp north west of the country is a great advantage to growing these gems as they undoubtedly do better in Scotland and are very tricky to grow in the lighter soils of the south and on limestone. The biggest aid to understanding the growing conditions for any plant is to find out from where it originates, in the case of meconopsis the fact they are from the Himalayas is a good guide.

The Blue Poppies.

The plants that are generally referred to as “blue poppies” are the hybrids and cultivars of Meconopsis baileyi, most of the cultivars are in different shades of blue with a white form (alba) occurring as well as an attractive violet form. It is worth remembering that all meconopsis are short lived perennials or monocarpic in that they die after flowering. One of the benefits of this is that many are prolific seed producers and one of the great joys is raising them from your own seed, they may not come true especially if you are growing several types but you can finish up with some excellent plants.

**Striking plant grown from own home collected seed.**

Meconopsis baileyi along with M. Lingholm is now available from most mainstream suppliers due to their popularity with the general public, you have to go to a specialist grower for the more unusual cultivars.

A distinctive garden cultivar, Meconopsis “Crarae” gets its name from the large numbers that are grown at Crarae Gardens, Argyle. These plants are infertile so can only be propagated by division. This photo was taken at Crarae and is the only one that is not from my garden.

**Meconopsis grandis distinctive flower bud.**

Meconopsis grandis is a “traditional blue poppy”, a wild hybrid, it readily produces seed from which it can be easily raised. All Meconopsis seed is best sown as fresh as possible under cold glass in January to March, in fact I find the seed of all hardy perennials is best treated this way. Sowing in pots outside is quite common but I prefer to have the containers protected from birds, animals and the weather.

Another excellent fertile blue poppy, exceptionally strong grower, as with all blue poppies they need plenty of space to grow well.

The last of my blue poppies, there are many more although, with the odd exception, most are infertile cultivars. Lingholm is another strong grower and like most I have mentioned can be propagated by seed or division.

The ” Paniculatas”

This group is made up of principally three species, Meconopsis superba, which unfortunately I have never grown, Meconopsis napaulensis and Meconopsis paniculata however, as with all meconopsis, there is tremendous variation in both form and colour. They are all monocarpic and can take a couple of years to flower but have the benefit of producing wonderful evergreen rosettes as well as oodles of seed. Meconopsis regia seen in cultivation is generally accepted to be a form of M.napaulensis.

Meconopsis regia

Here a couple of pictures of winter rosettes, the fact that the leaves are very often quite hairy means they are subject to winter damp rot although I have always managed without protection with very few fatalities.

The plant I had always wanted to grow is Meconopsis paniculata Ghunsa Form a spectacular paniculata with golden hairy rosettes so please excuse all the pictures.

The “spiny” meconopsis. Meconopsis horridula group.

Unfortunately I can’t guarantee that these pictures are totally accurate, the plants are all grown from seed and identification can be a little difficult as there is tremendous variation even within the species. All these plants are often sold under the name Meconopsis horridula. They are monocarpic and set plenty of seed.

After much deliberation I have decided that this is Meconopsis latifolia, a rather rare relative of Meconopsis horridula. Raised from seed, even if it actually isn’t latifolia it’s still a nice plant.

Miscellaneous Meconopsis.

Like many people I have a job to see where some plants sit in the meconopsis hierarchy, unfortunately the only picture I have of this beautiful plant doesn’t show its soft green leaves plus I think it should have a sulphur yellow flower, let’s face it I’m not even sure it actually is pseudointegrifolia, this is the problem you get with promiscuous poppies!

A rather weedy looking plant, the only one I have managed to raise, although no different from those I have seen pictured in the wild. Just to be awkward Meconopsis delavayi is a lime lover.

This is what happens when it all goes wrong, Meconopsis x sarsonii when the flower buds have been damaged by frost and/or damp.

Blue poppies are big feeders I grow them on fairly heavy rich soil with added grit and peat, yes peat, for best results.

This is the rest of the plants in this section I can cover based on the photos that I have available.

Narcissi

Narcissi or daffodils are meadow plants and as such prefer a moist soil and will tolerate some shade, dwarf narcissi however are more suited to a well drained position in the sun and also make excellent early flowering subjects under cold glass. No matter how ugly the leaves look after flowering don’t cut them off but feed a high potash feed such as tomato fertilizer as they die down also make sure that the dead flower heads are removed immediately to stop any attempt to manufacture seeds. Failure to do this will result in the bulbs deteriorating over time.

Oxalis

There are several hundred species of Oxalis (sorrels) varying from weeds to pot plants the example below is fairly typical. The “shamrock” leaf varies from almost brown, through red to green and is usually augmented by yellow, white or pink flowers. Cultivation varies, pot varieties are grown in a cold greenhouse and treated as you would any early spring bulbs, whereas many of the “weedier” varieties enjoy more woodland situations. Oxalis is one of those plants that used to be passed from gardener to gardener as despite their invasive habit they are extremely pretty and will brighten up a dull corner.

Pleione

The hardy orchid Pleione formosana, the single leaf and flower develops from a pseudobulb. A native of Taiwan, P. formosana is a member of a small genera which hail from S.E. Asia. Only really hardy in very mild areas of the UK, it is best grown in shallow alpine pans containing a gritty compost under cold glass. A container full of these plants in flower is a really spectacular sight.

Zantedeschia aethiopica

The Arum Lily, sometimes known as the Calla Lily, prefers a damp soil such as at a pondside or by a stream. A rhizomatous perennial originating from S.Africa it can be extremely invasive in warmer climes however in the UK a winter mulch is often recommended to protect the root.

The lily pictured above is the “base” species traditionally known as the Arum Lily which can even be grown in water at the pondside. As happens with many plants these days various colour forms have been developed mainly for the cut-flower industry. Colours include various pinks, yellow and orange and are generally known and sold as Calla Lilies, as far as the UK is concerned these are usually grown in containers for the garden.

Zephyranthes primulina

This beautiful little plant is quite rare and I only came across it in a “lucky dip” selection of seeds from one of the specialist societies I belong to. Part of the amaryllis family Zephyranthes (Rain Lilies) come from S.America and the Southern United States. Z.primulina is from Mexico and I would not attempt to grow it other than in a container under cold glass. Incidentally the seed was easy to germinate and the plant flowered in the second year which leads me to think that it spreads quite freely in its natural habitat.

This concludes the series, I know that it does not cover everything but is limited by the photos that I have available. I think the main thing to remember is that many larger bulbs, such as narcissi and those related to the lily family, are from natural grassland areas which tend to be damp, whereas most of the smaller bulbs, such as dwarf narcissus and iris are more suited to well drained soils in the sun. Remember if you don’t want to throw your tulips out every year that they need feeding and a good baking in the sun to develop.

Next post Meconopsis one of my two favourite genera.

Month: February 2022

Meconopsis

Popular bulbs, corms, rhizomes etc……… the non-fibrous rooted plants. Part 5.