PlantFiles: Welsh Poppy
Meconopsis cambrica

These grow in sun to deep shade and reseed heavily. The seedlings do pop up all over, but are easy to pull. It looks good most of the year, with pretty blue green foliage. It really lights up the shade in spring and early summer.

I just love its golden orange or yellow flowers. I don't mind the self-seeding at all; if self-seeding isn't desired, it can be controlled with deadheading in my zone 8b climate.

This plant blooms in the tough Southeast Alaska climate (very cool summers and lots of rain) from spring until fall. It grows here in full sun to shade. It reseeds like crazy, so be sure you want it. For a semi-wild spot, where you want color all season with no fuss, it works great.

The Welsh poppy soon becomes a weed as it seeds freely and pops up everywhere. I am trying to eliminate it from some areas of my garden now.

The Welsh Poppy can be frequently found in the shady, moist hedgebanks of Devon where the summers are often cool and moist. Best to keep it out of your garden here (unless you have a wild garden) because it can be hard to get rid off. It seeds itself and regrows from its fleshy roots if you hoe its top off.

This is a very successful plant (12+ years) in my Zone 8 yard in Olympia WA (about 70 miles south of Seattle). Blooms from early spring through the first hard frosts. Nice clear yellow flower. It reseeds VERY freely in shade and semi-shade. Pest-free and somewhat drought-tolerant. We've had a gruesome summer (from a plant's viewpoint-and mine) with many 90+ degree days and no measurable rain for nearly 2.5 months. It seldom rains in the summer here anyway, but the temps are not usually so high for such a long time. A very welcome sight in early spring - it thrives on spring rain and cool temps, but also grows well in the hostile conditions described above.

Hard to grow outside its preferred climate. Needs cool, moist summers, constant moisture, plenty of shade.