A popular garden name for blue-flowered varieties is the ‘Himalayan Blue Poppy’, although many are indigenous to China.

The genus Meconopsis is diverse; throughout the Sino-Himalaya, as well as blue-flowered species, yellow, pink, white and red-flowered species grow in a range of habitats.

‘Lingholm’ is one of the most reliable perennial varieties of blue poppy grown today. It is a variable garden hybrid of uncertain parentage, and was first identified and named at Lingholm Gardens near Keswick.

There are other excellent varieties of blue poppy growing in the Harewood Himalayan Garden, such as ‘Slieve Donard’, ‘Huntfield’, ‘Mop Head’ etc, but these are infertile and can be difficult to grow.

Blue poppies have a special place in any Himalayan plant collection, and at Harewood they were cultivated long ago for HRH Princess Mary.

They serve as emblematic plants of the Himalaya; one species of blue poppy is the National Flower of Bhutan.