Eomecon chionanthum - tougher than we thought.

Eomecon is most often called the Snow poppy or the Dawn poppy. Here in hot Geelong, it now has another common name; heat poppy. Eomecon chionanthum originally hails from the cooler eastern parts of China, where it grows best in woodland aspects; which if at all possible, one should try and emulate for optimum growing rewards.

The genus Eomecon was errected to hold but one member, that being Eomecon chionanthum which by all rights has no reason to be flowering here in hot Southern Australia.

When I have grown this in the past, it has always been in a peaty, moist woodland setting, so that the rhizomatous perennial rooting system can be accommodated. In a peaty situation, the random nature of this plant, with its far reaching underground stolens, travel underground popping up in new areas often far from the parent planting.

It is this attribute which needs to be remembered when planting your Snow poppies, for it can become very vigorous; often out- competing less hardy herbaceous perennials.

For me, half the charm in this plant is its behaviour. Friends I have given this to have been most annoyed by its random spreading, though for the life of me; I don't know why.

The simplicity of the snow poppy's elegant fleeting flowers reminds me how hot our fall temperatures are, and how far away from the cooler preferred growing conditions this is.

Still, each year; we continue to flower and prosper, even growing as you can see in full sun. Needless to say, this is best grown in dappled shade of deciduous trees where it can receive both protection from harsh light and adequate water.

The leaves are basal, rather kidney to heart shaped, with the margins neatly scalloped into a series of short rounded lobes. These are palmately veined and carried high above the ground on long stalks which are fairly fleshy, hairless; grey dull green with a faint flush of violet lilac, which on the underneath are paler in hue. The simple flowers are white with a central boss of yellow anthers.

Here in Australia the first buds appear late March and by the first of April it begins flowering with me, continuing into May.

In cooler climates, this has grown to perfection for us, unaffected by light snow falls or heavy frosts. Remember, this one has only lived in zones 7 and higher.