Scottish Rock Garden Club Forum
Specific Families and Genera => Meconopsis => Topic started by: Maggi Young on April 15, 2016, 10:45:00 AM
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From Ian Christie : A set of foliage from Meconopsis . The red pigment can vary from year to year it is darker when we get cold springs they will all turn more green as the weather get warmer. The hairs on the leaves collect the frost thus no damage to plant.
Barneys Blue, Crarae, Inverewe, Hensol Violet, Jimmy Bayne.
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next set ....
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Lingholm
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Marit
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PC Abildgaard
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Slieve Donard
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Susans Reward
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Willie Duncan
M. grandis .........
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Strathspey
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Marit
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Evelyn.
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From Ian Christie : A set of foliage from Meconopsis . The red pigment can vary from year to year it is darker when we get cold springs they will all turn more green as the weather get warmer.
Hi Maggi,
Aren't the anthrocyanins (or whatever chemicals causes the red colouring) meant to act as a sort of "anti-freeze" to help the plant cope with the cold?
cheers
fermi
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I think that anthocycanins are primarily believed to help protect against strong sunlight - not usually a problem in Scotland! In the case of autumn colouration in foliage I think it is caused by breakdowns of sugar and chlorophyll at that season. That would account for the dark colours in the mec foliage over winter, becoming more green as the season improves.
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Quite a number of plant genera seem to do the same thing and 'turn blue with cold'.
Our Sheffield plants are showing less of the purple colour even though they are slightly behind Ian's in growth. Wish we had such a range of cultivars. Interesting that the Meconopsis species which form evergreen winter rosettes never seem to show the purple defence mechanism although we are seeing it on young M. aculeata foliage..
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I love the emerging leaves of plants in general and Meconopsis in particular. Here are some of mine. Not quite such a range as Ian but I was fortunate enough to catch them after rain, when they look even more beautiful.
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'Ascreavie'
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'P.C. Abildgaard'
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'Marit'
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'Mop-Head'
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'Slieve Donard'