Mekonopsis (Meconopsis) or Tibetan poppy belongs to the poppy family and has an unusual shape and color of delicate flowers. A resident of the plateaus and highlands of India, China, Barma, Bhutan and Nepal won the hearts of gardeners, so it has long spread throughout Europe and neighboring continents.
Description
In the genus of meconopsis there are more than four dozen varieties that differ in the size of the stem and the color of the petals. There are annual, perennial and perennial varieties. Grassy shoots are distinguished by a variety of sizes, you can find both miniature creatures up to 15 cm in height, and a huge two-meter shoot. Preferred habitats are wooded and shaded hills and rocky terrain.
The root system of the Tibetan poppy has a rod and fibrous structure. It is distinguished by strong underground shoots and the presence of sleeping buds. From them in the spring a new shoot begins to form.
In the lower part of the plant is a basal rosette of rounded leaves, each of which has a long stalk. The color of the foliage is light green, the edges are solid smooth. The upper leaves are more elongated. A long single stalk 10-25 cm tall rises above the basal rosette; a flower is located at its end. There are varieties in which on one peduncle there is a whole racemose or paniculate inflorescence with several buds.
The entire green part of meconopsis is densely covered with villi of a bluish or brown hue. The first shoots appear in mid-spring, and flowering begins in June and lasts more than a month. Gradually, the plant increases its size and after 2-3 years it turns into a volumetric bush. Every year, with the onset of cold weather, the entire terrestrial part dies, only the root system is preserved. In the spring, new shoots appear from the root buds and meconopsis is reborn again in a large bush.
Varieties
Mekonopsis is very diverse in its varieties and hybrids, due to various habitats and the work of breeders. Most varieties are suitable for growing in temperate climates. Note the most interesting instances.
Mekonopsis is literal. The herbaceous perennial inhabitant of the Himalayas, therefore it is often called the Himalayan poppy. Leafy not only at the base, but along the entire length of the flower stalks grow to a height of 90 cm. Crowned with their inflorescence of 10 buds. Opened petals in diameter reach from 4 to 10 cm. On each of them there are 4-8 petals. The color of the inflorescence is bright - blue petals frame the yellow core. Foliage and stem densely pubescent with whitish villi. The buds open gradually and retain their beauty for about a week. Full bloom takes about 3 weeks.
The plant is resistant to gusts of wind, heavy rain and drought, but in the heat of more than 35 degrees it begins to wilt, without finishing flowering. In August, the seeds ripen. Before the onset of cold weather, new leaf rosettes without peduncles can form. Several hybrids of this variety are known:
- Alba with snow-white inflorescences;
- Crewson Hybrid with darker foliage and deep blue petals.
Mekonopsis Large. It differs in average shoot height (up to 80 cm) and the largest flowers, their size is 10-12 cm in diameter. The color of the petals is dark blue, pink, purple or white. Flowering continues from mid-June to late August.
Mekonopsis Cambrian. The only species that came from Europe, or rather from England. This miniature perennial rarely grows to 50 cm in height and holds a single flower on the stem, most similar to an ordinary poppy. The size of the flower is 6 cm in diameter. Petals of orange, yellow or red sometimes have a terry surface. This is the only plant that feels comfortable in direct sunlight, while flowering lasts all summer.
Mekonopsis Sheldon. This hybrid is distinguished by hollow sockets and thin stems with single blue flowers. Plant height reaches 1 m.
Mekonopsis Caravel. Unlike all previous varieties, it has lush terry inflorescences of a yellow, orange or terracotta hue. This hybrid delights gardeners with flowers from late spring to September.
Breeding
Plants propagate by seed or by rhizome division. It is worth noting that species varieties convey properties well in any way, but hybrid seedlings will not preserve varietal characteristics, therefore it is recommended to propagate them exclusively by division.
Mekonopsis seeds are harvested in the fall, after flowering and stored in a cool place until February. Sowing is done in tubs or individual pots. For best results, you can soak the dummies in a cotton pad or napkin, and place in the soil after the appearance of a small spine. The seedlings can be stimulated by hardening. To do this, moistened seeds are placed in the refrigerator for the night, and in the afternoon they again return them to the warm windowsill under the sun.
After the appearance of two true leaves, meconopsis dive and transplanted into separate pots. Seedlings are very moody and sensitive to any changes. They need to provide constantly moist soil and moderate heat. They are transplanted into an open flower garden in May, when the temperature is established at around 18-22 ° C.
Well tolerated by plants and vegetative propagation. The procedure is carried out in early March, as soon as the snow melts or in late August, if it is not hot. The rhizome is carefully dug up, straightened and divided so that each new plant has several sleeping buds. Then meconopsis is placed in a new place and carefully instilled.
In the first year, young shoots require careful handling. You will need a garter, regular watering, shelter from direct sunlight.
Cultivation and care
For meconopsis, light, well-drained soils are selected. Neutral or slightly acidic substrates are preferred. For indoor shoot growth, a special soil mixture for conifers or azaleas is suitable.
A feature of some varieties of poppy, especially with blue petals, is that they cannot be allowed to bloom in the first year of life. Such flowers can destroy the plant, so all peduncles are cut off when they appear.
The plant prefers shady or mixed patches of the garden, in bright sunshine and hot weather they begin to fade. You will also need to regularly moisten the soil to avoid drying out of the roots. For better growth, it is necessary to produce 2-3 fertilizers with ammonium sulfate per season.
In autumn, it is necessary to cut the entire terrestrial part of the plant to ground level. Mekonopsis tolerates frosts well without any shelter, even prolonged frosts of -20-23 ° C will not damage it. In areas with warm winters, it is necessary to cover the earth with foil to protect the roots from excessive moisture.
Basal leaves can be affected by powdery mildew, which is expressed in the appearance of brown round spots on leaf plates.
Using
Mekonopsis is used to decorate borders and flower beds as a tapeworm. Its bright flowers do not require additions and are rarely used in compositions. But, since flowering is quite short-term, you can use the neighborhood with cereal crops. They will mask unattractive aging leaf sockets by the end of summer. The most suitable neighbors are Brunner macrophylla, fern, hydrangea and a variety of meadow grasses.
