M. 'John Mitchell'
A cultivar with an affinity to M. × sheldonii. It had originally been purchased by L. Newby from Edrom Nurseries as “original M. × sheldonii”.
Introduced by: L. Newby, 2000. Named by: E. Stevens, 2015.
Registered by: E. Stevens, 2015.
Flowering: mid-May to mid-June. Three or four, nodding to half-nodding, large sky-blue flowers arising from the false whorl. The overlapping petals are broadly ovate with undulate margins.
Emerging foliage: Elliptic upright leaves covered with long, white-tipped spreading hairs.
Mature foliage: Narrow elliptic to elliptic-lanceolate lamina on long petioles. The leaf margins shallowly notched with small crenate teeth. Lamina base attenuate, apex acute.
Fruit capsule: Narrowly ellipsoid and covered with long pale straw-coloured bristles. Long narrow style and a slender stigma.
Etymology: Named after John Mitchell, the Alpine Supervisor at the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh and Chairman of The Meconopsis Group from 2001 to 2018.