Macleaya cordata
(Plume Poppy)
Family - Papaveraceae
Category - Perennial
Origin - China, Japan
Year of Introduction - 1795
Season of Interest - Spring, Summer, Autumn
Hardiness - H6
Height - up to 2.5m
Width - 1m
Location - The Hot Garden
Description: A tall, rhizomatous Perennial with glaucous, vertical stems. Attractive grey-green to blue-green leaves are palmately-lobed to heart-shaped with jagged, coarsely toothed margins. The small flowers are creamy-white to buff and have no petals, but many prominent stamens. The Blooms are held in airy, plume-like panicles and are produced from mid to late summer.
Synonym - Bocconia cordata
The genus Macleaya is named for Alexander Macleay (1767-1848) who was a secretary for the Linnean Society and later a prominent member of the Sydney Botanic Garden.
Flower:
Buff to creamy-white flowers have no petals, but many prominent stamens. The blooms are held in plume-like panicles atop tall stems and are produced in July and August.
Flower colour: Creamy-white, buff
Flower shape: Apetalous flowers in panicles
Flowering time: July, August
Foliage:
Grey-green to blue-green leaves are palmately-lobed to Cordate with jagged, Dentate margins. The leaves are Alternately arranged up the vertical, glaucous stems.
Foliage Senescence: Deciduous
Foliage Shape: Palmately-lobed to cordate
Propagation:
Cuttings, division, seed.
Cultivation:
Best in full sun to partial shade in fertile, moisture retentive soil that is well drained.
