The famous blue poppies include three species, some hybrids, and not all blue! The plants we offer should all be perennial (so long as they are not allowed to flower in their first year), slowly increasing to form clumps. From the winter buds at ground level emerge hairy leaves, longer and more pointed in Meconopsis grandis than in M. betonicifolia. The tall stems, each carrying many large poppy flowers, grow rapidly, to start blooming usually in early June, with the show lasting well over a month.

Meconopsis 'Bobby Masterton' is a rarely offered clone with attractive foliage in spring and intense, sky blue flowers that are very similar in appearance to 'Slieve Donard'. Such is the similarity of their flowers that they are best told apart by looking at their leaves as Meconopsis 'Bobby Masterton' mature leaves have a toothed margin, and young leaves have a red-purple pigmentation.