Himalayan blue poppy

Himalayan blue poppy: how do you recognise it?

Habit

A rosette of leaves with upright flower stems reaching about 90 cm tall and 45 cm wide.

Foliage

Oblong, grey-green to blue-green and covered in fine hairs; it forms a rosette at the base.

Flower

Cup-shaped with four silky petals, 5–9 cm across, in May and June; several flowers on one stem open one after another.

Colour

Sky blue, sometimes with a purple tinge, with a ring of yellow stamens.

Roots

Deep roots that dislike disturbance: it is best not to move it.

Flowering: May–June · Plants: April–May and September

Why grow it?

• A pure sky blue that almost no other garden plant can match, set off by yellow stamens.
• Flowers in May and June, just as rhododendrons and azaleas finish.
• Bees and bumblebees visit the open cups for pollen.
• The hairy, grey-green leaf rosette is attractive even without flowers in a shady border.
• Wonderful in a woodland garden, together with ferns, primulas and shrubs that like acid soil.

Himalayan blue poppy: where does it grow best?

• Partial shade: morning sun or filtered light under tall trees. Full afternoon sun and heat scorch it.
• Acid, humus-rich soil (loam or peaty soil), moist but well drained.
• It likes cool, humid air and shelter from dry wind; in winter the soil must not stay waterlogged.
• Plant 40–50 cm apart; in groups of three to five the effect is far more beautiful.

Light

Partial shade

Soil type

Loam or peat

Acidity

Acid

Moisture

Normal or wet

Size

0.9 m tall, 0.45 m wide

Hardiness

Hardy (to -20 °C)

Goes well with

• Rhododendron: The same acid, humus-rich soil and the same flowering time.
• Primula: Candelabra primulas in warm colours contrast with the blue and like the same moist spot.
• Ferns: Fine green foliage that keeps the soil cool and makes the blue stand out.
• Japanese maple: Gives light shade and shelter, and likes the same cool spot.

Himalayan blue poppy: when and how to plant it?

Plant in April–May and September.

1. Plant in April–May or in September, when the soil is moist and not frozen.
2. Dig a generous hole and mix in plenty of leaf mould or acid potting compost; avoid lime and chalky compost.
3. Set the plant at the same depth as in its pot, with the heart of the rosette at soil level, and firm gently.
4. Keep 40–50 cm between plants.
5. Water in at once, preferably with rainwater, and spread a mulch of leaf mould or pine bark around the plant without covering the crown.

Care

Water

Keep the soil lightly moist at all times, especially in spring and in dry summers. Use rainwater if you can, because it dislikes lime.

Feeding

In spring, a thin layer of compost or an organic fertiliser for acid-loving plants; do not overdo it.

Mulching

A layer of leaf mould in spring and autumn keeps the roots cool and the soil acid and moist.

First year

Pinch off the flower buds in the first year: the plant then puts its strength into roots and rosette and lasts for several years.

Spent flowers

Cut off the spent stems after flowering to save the plant’s strength. If you want to collect seed, leave one stem.

Tip: Pinch off the buds in the first year and give it rainwater, leaf mould and a cool spot. If you want a long-lived plant, choose a hybrid such as ‘Lingholm’.

Himalayan blue poppy: when to prune it?

When: It is not pruned. Cut off spent stems in July and clear dead leaves only in early spring.

How:

• Cut the flower stems after flowering to just above the leaf rosette.
• Leave the old leaves in place in winter as protection and remove them in March, before new growth starts.
• Remove rotten or brown leaves as soon as you see them, to prevent fungus.

Caution: Do not clear the heart of the rosette in winter: the old leaves protect the buds from frost and cold damp.

Pruning calendar and basic rules

Propagation

Seed

Sow seed fresh if possible, in August–September, on acid seed compost without covering it. Keep it cool, moist and lightly shaded. Sowing in January–February in a cold frame also works.

Division

For perennial hybrids such as ‘Lingholm’: divide the clump carefully in September or March. Each piece needs roots and a rosette.

Himalayan blue poppy: how does it get through the winter?

Hardy to −20 °C.

• Hardy down to about −20 °C. Hard frost is rarely the problem; cold wet soil is. Standing water makes the roots rot.
• Provide good drainage and leave the old leaves in winter as a cover, with a little leaf mould around them.
• In a pot: use acid potting compost with plenty of structure, put it in a cool, sheltered spot and do not leave the pot standing in water.

Diseases and pests

• Downy mildew: Yellow patches on the upper side of the leaf and a grey fungal film underneath, especially in damp weather. Remove affected leaves, give space and air, and avoid wetting the foliage.
• Slugs: Holes in young leaves in spring. Collect them in the evening; a ring of coarse grit or a beer trap helps.
• Root rot: The plant yellows and dies in wet winters or where water stands. Before planting, improve drainage with coarse sand and leaf mould.
• Heat and drought stress: Brown leaf edges and limp stems in hot summers. Move it somewhere cooler and shadier, give rainwater and keep a mulch around the base.

Through the year

• March: Clear old leaves and add a thin layer of leaf mould. Divide if wanted.
• April: Plant. Watch for slugs.
• May: First flowers. In the first year, pinch off the flower buds. Plant.
• June: Full flower. Water in dry spells.
• July: Cut off spent stems. Collect seed if you want to sow.
• August: Sow fresh seed. Mulch against drought.
• September: Plant or divide. Sow seed.
• October: Add leaf mould before winter.
• November: Leave old leaves in place as protection.

Good for wildlife

Bees

Nectar and pollen for honeybees and wild bees.

Did you know?

• Meconopsis means ‘poppy-like’: the name comes from the Greek word for poppy.
• The Welsh poppy (Meconopsis cambrica) is the only species of this genus that grows wild in Europe.
• The blue poppy became popular in British gardens in the first half of the twentieth century, after plant hunters brought seed back from the Himalaya.