PlantFiles: Himalayan Blue Poppy, Tibetan Blue Poppy
Meconopsis betonicifolia

I've been able to grow it easily in a wet, partly shaded area. It is back for its third year, bigger than ever, and I have planted some others. The flowers are wonderful looking but I wished it bloomed for a longer period, rather than just early summer. The plant has pretty fuzzy leaves and looks good most of the summer.

This is one of the easiest to germinate seeds. What Dear One did: Planted them in January, left the container outisde, no protection, nothing. We now have about 100 seedlings.

The best way to get them started is to collect seeds fresh from the plant, and refrigerate them until planting time, which for this area, zone 8b, is January.

Plant Meconopisi into well-drained soil, with little and no direct sun.. In wintertime they will die down, but they will return in March and usually be in full flower by May.

http://www.em.ca/garden/per_meconopsis_grandis1.html

Unlike many areas, Meconopsis enjoy the full sun here. Our summers do not get too hot for them to thrive. I purchased my M. betonicifolia from The Blue Poppy farm in Palmer, Alaska where the summers get considerably hotter than our coastal summers do. There they grew along a hillside, southern exposure to the sun, in both full sun and partial shade. All their plants thrived and volunteer meconopsis were popping up between the rocks.

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