M. 'Barney's Blue' (George Sherriff Group)
A very distinctive cultivar with flowers that have a tri-coloured appearance. It is probably of garden origin but has an affinity to M. gakyidiana.
MG Rating: ★★★★   Awards: AM (2005)
Named by: I. Christie, 2005. Registered by: The Meconopsis Group, 2005.
Flowering: late May to late June. The flowers are initially deep magenta on opening but the colour changes from the centre outwards over the course of a few days to a mauve-blue and then to a clear sky blue. This gives groups of the plants a tri-coloured effect. The flowers are at first deeply cupped and lateral facing but turning upwards as they age. Their petals are rounded and broadly overlapping at the base and have a slight frill.
Emerging foliage: The young leaves are paleish green and covered with pale ginger hairs which gives them a furry appearance on emergence. They are later emerging than other GSG members and lack the usual red-purple pigmentation.
Mature foliage: The mature basal leaves have a long petiole and spread laterally. Their elliptic blades are attenuate at the base and the tips are sub-obtuse. The leaf margins are regularly incised with shallow crenate-dentate teeth.
Fruit capsule: Narrowly ellipsoid, densely covered with pale ginger bristles. The style is long and is capped with a prominent rounded stigma. Sterile.
Etymology: Plants of this cultivar were submitted to The Meconopsis Group naming trial by a number of donors and some of these could be sourced back to the former garden of George and Betty Sherriff at Ascreavie. This cultivar was found to be still growing at Ascreavie in 2000 and has been named after Barney Barron the present owner of the property.