Scottish Rock Garden Club Forum

Specific Families and Genera => Meconopsis => Topic started by: Tristan_He on April 25, 2016, 09:30:29 PM

Title: Meconopsis 2016
Post by: Tristan_He on April 25, 2016, 09:30:29 PM
[attachimg=1]

[attachimg=2]

We were away over the weekend and had a nice surprise when we got back - first flower from Meconopsis x cookei 'Old Rose'. This was one of five plug plants from Pitcairn Alpines last year, at least 4 have flower buds and all are producing offsets which is encouraging.
Title: Re: Meconopsis 2016
Post by: Elly on April 26, 2016, 02:55:09 PM
Meconopsis x cookei 'Old Rose' is wonderful with the dark purple stem. Next year I will have to sow it.
Title: Re: Meconopsis 2016
Post by: ian mcdonald on April 26, 2016, 05:14:36 PM
Tristan, I looked at pitcairns site and they do not seem to list M. cookei now.
Title: Re: Meconopsis 2016
Post by: Tristan_He on April 26, 2016, 07:08:15 PM
Worth checking back in a few weeks Ian - these were supplied in summer out of the main bulb catalogue season. I think Susan frequents this forum too.
Title: Re: Meconopsis 2016
Post by: ian mcdonald on April 26, 2016, 10:31:15 PM
Thanks, will do.
Title: Re: Meconopsis 2016
Post by: Roma on May 07, 2016, 11:34:15 PM
Meconopsis x cookei 'Old Rose'
Title: Re: Meconopsis 2016
Post by: Tristan_He on May 08, 2016, 05:42:22 PM
Beautiful Roma, I hope mine look as nice in a couple of years.
Title: Re: Meconopsis 2016
Post by: Roma on May 08, 2016, 08:55:10 PM
I find it increases very well and needs split up every 2 or 3 years.  It can shrivel up if we get a long dry spell or not so long if it is windy.
Title: Re: Meconopsis 2016
Post by: Lesley Cox on May 09, 2016, 12:19:11 AM
Does it set fertile seed Roma? My M. punicea gave me good seed for several years then vanished in the one year when I didn't keep some to sow, myself. It was always ephemeral but so gorgeous, it was worth any trouble. Must try again when the opportunity arises.
Title: Re: Meconopsis 2016
Post by: ichristie on May 11, 2016, 12:53:24 PM
Just back from USA very hot here Meconopsis flowering just now hope for rain,  Ian the Christie kind
Title: Re: Meconopsis 2016
Post by: Roma on May 11, 2016, 02:09:48 PM
Does it set fertile seed Roma? My M. punicea gave me good seed for several years then vanished in the one year when I didn't keep some to sow, myself. It was always ephemeral but so gorgeous, it was worth any trouble. Must try again when the opportunity arises.
No, Lesley.  Unfortunately the hybrid does not set seed.  I also lost M. punicea after a few years and exchange seed has not germinated for me.
Title: Re: Meconopsis 2016
Post by: Roma on May 11, 2016, 02:12:48 PM
Lovely Mecs, Ian.  They are not enjoying this hot weather and it's supposed to get windy as it gets cooler so they will not like that either.  Never pleased with the weather, are we?  complaining of snow and hail less than two weeks ago ;D
Title: Re: Meconopsis 2016
Post by: Tristan_He on May 11, 2016, 09:23:14 PM
It looks as if Bjornar Olsen has managed to get some seed though.
http://trillium.no/shop/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=1&products_id=386 (http://trillium.no/shop/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=1&products_id=386)
Title: Re: Meconopsis 2016
Post by: Maggi Young on May 23, 2016, 05:16:54 PM
Photo from Harperley Hall Farm's stand at Chelsea Flower show 2016  of  Meconopsis 'Jameson hybrid" - picture  kindly shared by Kitty Wilkins

[attachimg=1]

[attachimg=2]
Title: Re: Meconopsis 2016
Post by: Roma on May 24, 2016, 09:40:19 PM
Big blue Meconopsis.  Used to know it as Meconopsis x sheldonii 'Cruickshank'  but is now Infertile Group 'Bobby Masterton'
Meconopsis quintuplinervia
Title: Purple?
Post by: Jonathan Lealand on May 24, 2016, 11:08:11 PM
Hello everyone,

I planted 16 Meconopsis Betonicifolia here in Bristol, UK, almost two years ago and now they are finally on the verge of flowering for the first time. One of them has just opened enough to reveal the colour of the petals hiding within and, much to my horror (!), it's purple, not blue. Is this normal? I've heard that some start out purple and gradually change to blue. On the other hand I've heard that if the soil is too alkaline they can indeed turn purple, though this shouldn't be the case since I replaced the bed with ericaceous soil..

I'm going to be so disappointed if they all turn out purple after the two years of love.. any advice would be much appreciated.



Title: Re: Meconopsis 2016
Post by: Tristan_He on May 25, 2016, 08:05:31 AM
Give 'em a day or two Jonathan. Quite a few blue poppies will open a bit purplish. Unless your plants are "Hensol Violet' which stays purplish. Spring growing conditions can also affect the blueness of these and things like blue Corydalis. Are they from seed? If so there could be variation.

Incidentally if you are into blue poppies I'd strongly recommend M. 'Lingholm'. Reliably perennial, larger flowered than M. baileyi (yes they have changed the name back again) and a good doer in most gardens so long as it is well fed and split every so often.
Title: Re: Meconopsis 2016
Post by: Jonathan Lealand on May 25, 2016, 10:39:35 PM
Thanks for the advice, Tristan. This is my first time growing any Meconopsis plant so I'm obviously a bit inexperienced but I fell in love with them when I saw them the first time and am determined to give it my best shot. They're definitely not 'Hensol Violets' so I'm hoping that the purple will indeed change to blue. They're not from seed, I bought them as small plugs a couple of years back.

I'm very interested in trying M 'Lingholm', especially if it's reliably perennial, and have just ordered 8 of them! I can't keep up with the back and forth between Betonicifolia and M. bailey..!

How long have you been growing them for?
Title: Re: Meconopsis 2016
Post by: Roma on May 30, 2016, 10:57:38 PM
Meconopsis 'Mrs Jebb'  - such a deep colour.  This one stood out for me on a visit to Ian Christie's nursery a few years ago so i mhad to have it.
Title: Re: Meconopsis 2016
Post by: Roma on June 02, 2016, 11:19:37 PM
This opened yesterday.
Meconopsis prattii. 
I think it must be a self sown seedling as it is a few years since I planted M. prattii in this spot.  The Rhodohypoxis in the background of the second picture have been there for years and seem quite hardy.
Title: Re: Meconopsis 2016
Post by: Roma on June 02, 2016, 11:24:36 PM
Two different red Meconopsis opened today.  I think the first (pics 1&2) is one I bought at a plant sale.  The poor thing is still in a 7cm pot but is well rooted into the ground.  The second was grown from seed as Meconopsis staintonii.  I think the pollen is yelow but it appears red in the photos.  I will check tomorrow.
Title: Re: Meconopsis 2016
Post by: Lesley Cox on June 02, 2016, 11:39:28 PM
I wondered if these two reds were perhaps paniculata? But I don't know the genus well enough and don't know staintonii at all ???
Title: Re: Meconopsis 2016
Post by: David Nicholson on June 03, 2016, 09:35:26 AM
Nice to see your Mecs Roma.
Title: Re: Meconopsis 2016
Post by: Roma on June 03, 2016, 12:08:13 PM
Thanks, David.
Lesley, I think the first one is Meconopsis napaulensis (hort) if there is such a thing as most of those in cultivation could be of hybrid origin.  I'm not sure if staintonii is a valid name.  It is a few generations from a wild collection.
The stamens are definitely yellow.  I don't know why they come up red in the pics.   
Title: Re: Meconopsis 2016
Post by: Roma on June 03, 2016, 01:08:11 PM
Just had a look at Meconopsis World website.  Should do my research before answering queries.  Meconopsis staintonii is a valid name.  The ginger hairs on the leaves are a feature but they can occur in hybrids too.  Most of the tall monocarpic poppies in red and yellow shades are hybrids of napaulensis, paniculata, staintonii and others.
Title: Re: Meconopsis 2016
Post by: Lesley Cox on June 04, 2016, 12:28:13 AM
Thanks Roma. There are good stands of red and yellow in the Dunedin Botanic Gardens and I grew a lot from seed summer before last but one day of hot, north west winds did for the lot of them, still very young and tender. I'll try again though. M. grandis does very well here with high, overhead shade and a decent water supply at last.
Title: Re: Meconopsis 2016
Post by: Jonathan Lealand on June 05, 2016, 11:49:12 PM
Meconopsis 'Mrs Jebb'  - such a deep colour.  This one stood out for me on a visit to Ian Christie's nursery a few years ago so i mhad to have it.

Fabulous. Do Mrs Jebbs always have such rounded petals?
Title: Re: Meconopsis 2016
Post by: Jonathan Lealand on June 05, 2016, 11:52:31 PM
Here's an early flowering highlight
Title: Re: Meconopsis 2016
Post by: Jonathan Lealand on June 06, 2016, 12:04:22 AM
I love the deep blue in these
Title: Re: Meconopsis 2016
Post by: Maggi Young on June 06, 2016, 12:15:42 PM
There's a real magic about a big blue poppy!
Title: Re: Meconopsis 2016
Post by: Steve Garvie on June 06, 2016, 01:21:19 PM
Meconopsis henricii -One of the smaller Chinese monocarpic species. Each flower is held on a separate scape.
(https://c2.staticflickr.com/8/7234/27221710040_f266e37c18_o.jpg)
(https://c2.staticflickr.com/8/7767/27221710760_61517a75c3_o.jpg)
Title: Re: Meconopsis 2016
Post by: Lesley Cox on June 06, 2016, 11:40:47 PM
A real glory Steve. Yet those hairs on the stems look like those of stinging nettle!
Title: Re: Meconopsis 2016
Post by: Tristan_He on June 07, 2016, 08:07:57 AM
That's beautiful Steve. And congratulations on flowering it - did you grow from seed?
Title: Re: Meconopsis 2016
Post by: Steve Garvie on June 07, 2016, 09:56:05 AM
Thanks Lesley, Tristan.
It was grown from 2013 Björnar Olsen seed sown in early January 2014. Germination was good but I sowed the seed too thickly and pricked out later than was ideal so attrition amongst the seedlings was high. This is the only one I have flowering this year but I have four more which should flower next year assuming they get through the winter. My Mec. delavayi isn't going to flower this year but it has produced three new growths.

Does anyone still grow pure Mec. punicea? I wish I had taken better care of it when I had it?
I sowed seed from three sources (in December & mid January) but not a single seed has germinated.
Title: Re: Meconopsis 2016
Post by: TC on June 07, 2016, 12:40:45 PM
Meconopsis at Dawyck gardens on Sunday last.
Title: Re: Meconopsis 2016
Post by: johnw on June 07, 2016, 02:36:41 PM
An intreresting post on Remi Nielsen's Facebook page with photos - Meconopsis yaoshanense and its first flowering!

https://www.facebook.com/remialeksander.nielsen?fref=photo (https://www.facebook.com/remialeksander.nielsen?fref=photo)

For those of you who cannot access FB here is a screen shot.

johnw
Title: Re: Meconopsis 2016
Post by: Lesley Cox on June 08, 2016, 12:58:31 AM
I used to have M. punicea Steve, for maybe 6 or 7 years always renewed from my own fresh seed. This was sown as soon as the pods opened and germinated the same time each year, almost to the day (Aug 8th) 8 months later. Then one year there was no seed set.
Title: Re: Meconopsis 2016
Post by: Jonathan Lealand on June 08, 2016, 10:51:23 AM
Anyone have any advice on whether to deadhead Meconopsis or not?
Title: Re: Meconopsis 2016
Post by: Maggi Young on June 08, 2016, 05:10:54 PM
I wouldn't Jonathan - never know what goodies you might get from seed and if the capsules are empty, no loss.
Title: Re: Meconopsis 2016
Post by: Tristan_He on June 09, 2016, 06:54:50 PM
Does anyone still grow pure Mec. punicea? I wish I had taken better care of it when I had it?
I sowed seed from three sources (in December & mid January) but not a single seed has germinated.

Like you I have sown seed Steve, but no germination yet. Never tried it before but we should have a reasonable climate for it here.
Title: Re: Meconopsis 2016
Post by: Tristan_He on June 09, 2016, 07:01:49 PM
[attachimg=1]

M. 'Mop-Head'

[attachimg=2]

M. 'P.C. Abildgaard'
Title: Re: Meconopsis 2016
Post by: Tristan_He on June 09, 2016, 10:42:43 PM
[attachimg=1]

M. 'Marit'
Title: Re: Meconopsis 2016
Post by: Roma on June 14, 2016, 08:19:57 PM
The two red Meconopsis I showed earlier are enjoying the rain.  They are now standing upright instead of leaning over.

Meconopsis 'Glacier Blue'
Meconopsis baileyi
Meconopsis baileyi var. alba
Title: Re: Meconopsis 2016
Post by: johnw on June 14, 2016, 09:01:03 PM
Again at Halifax lurker friend's garden this morning I spotted this seedling Meconopsis, likely ex M. baileyi given the donor of the seedlings.  How common is this in Meconopsis, a double row of rather frilly petals?

johnw
Title: Re: Meconopsis 2016
Post by: ichristie on June 15, 2016, 05:54:46 PM
Hello thanks for all the superb pictures I have spent the last week thanks to the rain splitting and moving Meconopsis around very heavy rain today so hope for some sunshine to ripen the strawberries. I am posting several Meconopsis pictures taken from late May onwards, cheers Ian the Christie kind
Title: Re: Meconopsis 2016
Post by: ichristie on June 15, 2016, 05:56:39 PM
Next
Title: Re: Meconopsis 2016
Post by: ichristie on June 15, 2016, 05:58:17 PM
More
Title: Re: Meconopsis 2016
Post by: ichristie on June 15, 2016, 06:01:12 PM
still more, many of the pictures were taken when we had the very hot dry week now we have cold and wet, cheers Ian the Christie kind
Title: Re: Meconopsis 2016
Post by: ichristie on June 15, 2016, 06:05:28 PM
Last few
Title: Re: Meconopsis 2016
Post by: TC on June 15, 2016, 08:48:39 PM
Brilliant series of pictures Ian.  However, I have to admit that I have great difficulty in telling some of the varieties apart.  Maybe too subtle for my old eyes !
Title: Re: Meconopsis 2016
Post by: ichristie on June 16, 2016, 05:54:44 PM
I just love all of them such aristocrats but we do need names so these are recorded for history,  cheers Ian the Christie kind
Title: Re: Meconopsis 2016
Post by: johnw on June 19, 2016, 01:13:32 AM
At a friend's today out on the coast.  A mystery Meconopsis in the first picture at the fore right.  At the upper left M. bailey and upper right M. 'Lingholm' for comparison.  The other pix are of the mystery Meconopsis.  She is fairly certain it is a seedling grown as a perennial in another genus!

Any ideas what it might be?

johnw
Title: Re: Meconopsis 2016
Post by: Tristan_He on June 19, 2016, 09:21:54 AM
I'm afraid I don't John, but the Meconopsis group website should be helpful (hope you can work your way around the site, it's not that easy to navigate). The 'Plant Portraits' section has loads of info on flower shape, colour, leaf shape, flowering time etc.

Best, Tristan

http://meconopsis.org/pages/portraits1.html#infbgroup]
[url]http://meconopsis.org/pages/portraits1.html#infbgroup (http://[url) [/url]
Title: Re: Meconopsis 2016
Post by: ichristie on June 21, 2016, 12:25:09 PM
A few more Meconopsis the first ones all yellow are M. staintoni these are the plants I posted some time ago as silvery rosettes the double is M. baileyi Amy's Dream  raised by Cyril LaFong some years ago always late so more pictures as it opens it is perennial but slow to multiply
Title: Re: Meconopsis 2016
Post by: ichristie on June 28, 2016, 11:34:03 AM
Hello John sorry for delay with reply have been looking at you Meconopsis pictures and from the leaf it looks like M. Lingholm the flowers look darker but I know very well that M. Lingholm can be variable in fact a new Purple form is around. picture here taken at Branklyn Garden
Title: Re: Meconopsis 2016
Post by: Maggi Young on July 04, 2016, 01:34:55 PM
SRGC President David Rankin recently returned  from a trip to China - these photos have been posted in social media by Kevock Garden Plants


[attachimg=1]
Meconopsis pulchella at Balang Shan

[attachimg=2]
Meconopsis balangensis var balangensis

[attachimg=3]
Rather amazing - a white form of Meconopsis punicea!
Title: Re: Meconopsis 2016
Post by: ichristie on July 15, 2016, 09:07:24 AM
Now that most Meconopsis flowers are past still a few which is very late I am looking at seed heads most of what I post will not produce any fertile seed. M. baileyi Hensol violet (fertile) M. Huntfield and M. Ascreavie ( No seed) M. MG 3 ( fertile)
M. baileyi (fertile)
Title: Re: Meconopsis 2016
Post by: Tristan_He on September 11, 2016, 02:29:43 PM
I started this thread with this plant of M. x cookei 'Old Rose' in April. And here it is in September, having flowered more or less continuously since then (albeit the best display was early season). And it's grown as well! Excellent plant.

[attach=1]
Title: Re: Meconopsis 2016
Post by: Maggi Young on September 14, 2016, 09:00:48 PM
More pictures of mec seedheads from Ian Christie - some repeated from before
 No 1 picture M. grandis
 no 2     same
3 M. baileyi
4 M. baileyi Hensol Violet
Title: Re: Meconopsis 2016
Post by: Maggi Young on September 14, 2016, 09:01:56 PM
no 5 M. Jimmy Bayne not fertile as is ......
no 6 M. Slieve Donard

no 7 M. Ascreavie

no 8 M. Hybrid not fertile    and no 9 is M. Lingholm fertile
Title: Re: Meconopsis 2016
Post by: ichristie on September 16, 2016, 08:06:14 PM
Hello just back from Devon very bumpy flight due to thunderstorms very glad to arrive in Edinburgh any way I am posting a picture of some Meconopsis leaves which I am comparing please ignore some of the names these are some new forms, cheers Ian the Christie kind
Title: Re: Meconopsis 2016
Post by: Tristan_He on October 01, 2016, 08:57:03 PM
This wet autumn seems to be suiting my M. wallichii seedlings sown this spring - and the leaves look amazing with raindrops on them.

[attachimg=1]

[attachimg=2]

[attachimg=3]

This one was bought from seed labelled as 'M.regia' but it's a garden hybrid of some sort, still a pretty enough rosette.

[attachimg=4]
Title: Re: Meconopsis 2016
Post by: Maggi Young on October 29, 2016, 04:36:21 PM
There are a great series of papers on Meconopsis in Sibbaldia -  the Journal of Botanic Garden Horticulture - from RBGE - with open access at the moment - ranging from seed storage to maintaining a monocarpic collection......  https://journals.rbge.org.uk/index.php/rbgesib (https://journals.rbge.org.uk/index.php/rbgesib)
 
[attachimg=1]
 
 Establishing and Maintaining Monocarpic Meconopsis in Living Collections. C. Grey-Wilson  https://journals.rbge.org.uk/index.php/rbgesib/article/view/12/12 (https://journals.rbge.org.uk/index.php/rbgesib/article/view/12/12)
 
   The effects of short-term storage on germination in Meconopsis Vig. (Papaveraceae). 
  A. Elliott    https://journals.rbge.org.uk/index.php/rbgesib/article/view/166/154 (https://journals.rbge.org.uk/index.php/rbgesib/article/view/166/154)
 
 Meconopsis grandis – the true Himalayan Blue Poppy & The Cultivation Of M. grandis
    C. Grey-Wilson  https://journals.rbge.org.uk/index.php/rbgesib/article/view/138/128 (https://journals.rbge.org.uk/index.php/rbgesib/article/view/138/128)
 
 
   The Importance of Polyploidy in Meconopsis with Particular Reference to the Big Perennial Blue Poppies
    Ian McNaughton    https://journals.rbge.org.uk/index.php/rbgesib/article/view/58/42 (https://journals.rbge.org.uk/index.php/rbgesib/article/view/58/42)
Title: Re: Meconopsis 2016
Post by: ichristie on November 17, 2016, 10:20:17 AM
Hello sorry for long delay with this I am posting a pictures with two leaves the one on the left is Meconopsis wallichii  the other is M. staintoni I suspect you plants are this or possible hybrids cheers Ian the Christie kind
Title: Re: Meconopsis 2016
Post by: Tristan_He on November 17, 2016, 05:50:16 PM
Thanks Ian. They were labelled only as 'Meconopsis sp.'. Ian Scott has examined his seed from the same source and thought they were most likely wallichii, but we will see! I haven't grown either species before so have an open mind. Whatever the plant, the rosettes are beautiful.
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