Bobby Masterton

Bobby Masterton

Meconopsis ‘Bobby Masterton’

Infertile Blue Group  MG No, 9

Named and Registered by The Meconopsis Group in 2002
Awards  PC (2008) AGM (2013)

Emerging upright young leaves with red-purple pigmentationEmerging upright young leaves with red-purple pigmentation.

The long slender fruit capsule showing the hairless sutures.

Long, slender capsule

showing hairless sutures. 

Sky blue flowers showing the long slender styleSky-blue flower showing long, slender style

Single basal leaf showing a pale midrib , a long petiole and shallow teeth.Single basal leaf showing pale midrib, long petiole
and shallow teeth.

A leaf showing the shallow serrate-dentate teeth.Leaf showing shallow serrate-dentate teeth.

 

Meconopsis ‘Bobby Masterton’ is a well-known, established, sterile clone of garden origin, with clear sky-blue flowers. It is thought to be a hybrid between M. grandis subsp. grandis and M. baileyi.  It was named in recognition of Bobby Masterton, who created the Cluny House Garden in Perthshire.

Description

 

Meconopsis ‘Bobby Masterton’ usually flowers between mid May and mid June. It has nodding sky-blue flowers with petals that overlap.

 

The emerging elliptical young foliage is upright, with intense red-purple pigmentation on both upper and lower surfaces. They are covered with straw-coloured hairs. The basal leaves become green as they mature. The petiole is long and can be brittle while each leaf has a pale midrib. The margins of the leaf blade have shallow serrate-dentate teeth.

The fruit capsule is long and narrow and covered with spreading bristles apart from on the sutures. The style is long and narrow. It is sterile.

 

Meconopsis ‘Bobby Masterton’ is similar in some ways to M. ‘Slieve Donard’ although it flowers slightly earlier. Both have sky-blue flowers; those of M ‘Bobby Masterton’ may be slightly paler.  The main difference can be seen in the emerging leaves. Those of M ‘Bobby Masterton’ have red-purple pigmentation whilst those of M. ‘Slieve Donard’ are green.

Meconopsis ‘Bobby Masterton is widely available from specialist nurseries. 

Sky blue nodding flowersSky-blue, nodding flowers with overlapping petals. 

Bobby Masterton in garden situClump of Meconopsis ‘Bobby Masterton’ in a garden setting.