This is another recent image taken in Arunchal Pradesh by Jeanie Jones from Dumfries. It is of a lovely group of Meconopsis simplicifolia. In general this species tends to be monocarpic - that is die after flowering - and regretably these are usually the best forms. I suspect this group belong to a monocarpic strain and will die after flowering this year. Having said that one or two of these plants do look asa though they may be multi-rosetted and perhaps will flower again next year. I doubt any will be truly perennial like good forms of M. grandis. There are forms of this species reported that may be perennial, but those I have seen are usually with small poor flowers. This species differs from other blue poppy species (like M. grandis and M. betonicifolia or baileyi) in that the filaments that have the anthers attached are a good blue colour. 

A really wonderful image of Meconopsis bella. The name says it all as it is exquisitely beautiful and really quite large. It can be pink or pale blue with all flowering stems scaopose and this image is quite typical of it in a rock crevice. This was photographed recently on an expedition to Arunchal Pradesh by Jeannie Jones. A slight downside to looking for plants in many of the Himalayan Meconopsis sites is that they tend to flower in the rainy season! Seed used to be available of this species from an Indian seed company and I tried it a number of times. The seedlings are minute even at two years and go dormant for the winter. I did just succeed in flowering it one year at 4 years old and my children at that time were somewhat underwhelmed by the rather small and insignificant flower that fleetingly appeared after all the fuss I had made over it as it gradually got a little bigger!

Another lovely image from Tetsuo in  Japan. Anemonopsis macrophylla do well with Meconopsis and I already have several that grow happily in between them. This is a lovely double pink form. Tetsuo has also generously sent me seed.