Meconopsis cambrica

A perennial of the Papaveraceae family, the Welsh poppy is the only European representative of the genus Meconopsis. It is native to western Europe, from the Pyrenees to the British Isles, where it colonizes shaded rocks, cool banks, damp scree, and light undergrowth, generally between 400 and 1,800 meters in altitude.

It forms a light clump 30 to 40 cm in height when in bloom. The foliage is finely cut, pinnately lobed, a tender and bright green, very elegant even when not in bloom. The flower buds, ovoid and covered with whitish bristles, are particularly characteristic before blooming.

The flowers, borne individually on slender stems, have four silky petals of a bright yellow to lemon yellow, surrounding a pale green pistil and numerous yellow stamens. Orange forms also exist.

In its natural habitat, its flowering extends from May to August. In cultivation, it often begins as early as April and can extend until September if conditions are cool.

A generous species that reseeds abundantly, it readily settles in the cracks of shaded walls, cool pavings, or woodland rockeries. It prefers a cool, humus-rich, well-drained soil, in shade or partial shade, and does not tolerate hot, dry summers well.