Saturday 4 April 2015

Meconopsis paniculata in wild. This is an image by David and Margaret Thorne. I have taken images today in the garden but cannot load them! What follows is again just for gardeners! This species is one of the rosette forming ones that look lovely in winter and then send up a flowering spike after 2 or 3 years and die. With more than one plant they will set huge amounts of seed. It was always thought of as a yellow flowered species but recently pink and red forms have been described. It was recognised as a specific species by a very subtle feature of the leaf hairs. I suspect again much of what is in the seed exchanges is muddled. If offered seed just accept it will form a nice winter rosette and then a final tall flowering spike.