M. 'Huntfield' (George Sherriff Group)
A strong growing cultivar probably of garden origin with an affinity to M. gakyidiana. Very similar to M. ‘Dalemain'.
MG Rating: ★★★★   Awards: AM (2005)
Introduced by: A. Jamieson, 1998. Named by: The Meconopsis Group, 2002.
Registered by: The Meconopsis Group, 2002.
Flowering: Late May-June. Between 2 and 4 blue, mauve-blue or purple-blue flowers arise from the false whorl, often accompanied with additional flowers from the uppermost leaf axils. The lateral facing flowers are saucer to shallow bowl-shaped with petals which are initially deeply overlapping. Their petals are rounded to broadly ovate with a slightly undulated margin.
Emerging foliage: Broad leaves suffused with a pronounced red-purple pigmentation and covered with short straw-coloured hairs.
Mature foliage: Broadly elliptic to oblanceolate on long petioles, the leaf margins incised with many serrate-dentate teeth. Leaf base attenuate, apex acute.
Fruit capsule: Narrowly ellipsoid, covered with pale straw-coloured bristles. Long style and a prominent stigma. Sterile.
Etymology: Allan Jamieson bought this cultivar at Huntfield House in the Scottish Borders well before 1998 and it was subsequently given the name ‘Huntfield’. Mrs. Sylvia McCosh, the owner of the property had originally bought plants of M. grandis (now M. gakyidiana) from Jack Drake’s Inshriach Nursery.