Conservation

How to help with Meconopsis Conservation

In recent years it has become increasingly difficult to obtain Meconopsis seed which has been legally collected in the Himalayan regions.  Consequently, it is vital that all species currently in cultivation are conserved for future generations to admire.  In the past it has been the case that some species (e.g. Meconopsis latifolia) were lost to cultivation, as the growers were unaware that the total population in cultivation was rapidly dwindling.

Members of The Meconopsis Group should play an active role in conservation by participating in regular censuses, so that species which are becoming vulnerable are identified long before their status in cultivation becomes critical.  Of course some species disappear from cultivation as a result of hybridisation, as was the case with the short-lived re-introduction of Meconopsis betonicifolia grown in Alaska.

A group of conservation-minded members have agreed to maintain pure colonies of a particular species, or form of a species, with the aim of producing sufficient seed to ensure their long-term future.

All members are invited to contribute to this initiative, so please contact (name / office bearer) for further information or advice.

This page is still in development, so please be patient and look back at a later date for more content.