Guide to growing garden plants - Meconopsis Blue Poppy

The Meconopsis genus contains short lived hardy perennials that reach a height of 30cm to 1.5M.

They carry poppy like flowers that can bloom in spring, summer or the start of autumn (species dependent).

Many Meconopsis species are known for their blue poppy like flowers but they can also carry flowers of many other colors including white, orange, pink and yellow.

Some of the common names for Meconopsis include Welsh poppy, Asiatic poppy, Blue Poppy and Harebell poppy.

How to grow Blue poppy

The seeds of blue poppy should be sown on the surface; this can wither be done just before the last frost of spring or towards the end of autumn. Blue poppies prefer to grow in a shady or partially shady part of the gardens but can tolerate sunny areas in milder climates. They like a rich acidic soil, ideally the soil should be kept moist in the summer, but allowed to dry in the winter.

When starting Blue poppy off indoors do so about two months in advance. The seeds should be sown in vermiculite. It should take about two to four weeks for blue poppy to germinate at 12 to 18 degrees Celsius. Once growing the seedlings should be watered from beneath. Once ready transplant the young Meconopsis plants at a spacing of 30cm (small) to 75 to 90cm (large) apart. This should be done following the last frost of spring.

Caring for Meconopsis plants such as the blue poppy

When growing blue poppy and other Meconopsis plants in the garden it is very important to keep the soil moist in the summer. Once the growing period has finished, cut back to ground level (autumn). If you require more plants then they can be propagated by division at the start of spring.