Meconopsis grandis - Grand Blue Poppy

Grand blue poppy is a stunning pure blue poppy. It is native to the Himalayas, northern Burma, Tibet and Yunnan Province in China where it is typically found in shady mountain areas, mountain meadows, slopes and woodlands. It is noted for producing large, deep sky blue flowers, up to 4-5 inches across, in late spring. Flowers are borne usually not more than 3 atop a stem. Flowers are shallowly cup-shaped usually with 4 petals. Plants were observed in 1922 in the East Rongbuk Valley in Tibet growing at an elevation of 16,000 feet by members of a British mountaineering expedition led by George Leigh Mallory. Established plants typically grow 1.5-3 ft tall on stems rising from a basal rosette of bristly, entire or coarsely toothed, cuneate, narrow-inverted-lanceshaped, medium green leaves, up to 12 inches long. Spent flowers give way to narrow seed pods. Flowers bloom in spring. This species is the National Flower of Bhutan. It is found at elevations of 3000-5200 m.