Papaver rhoeas ‘Amazing Grey’

Papaver rhoeas ‘Amazing Grey’ produces exquisite blooms,  from silver grey to slate blue,  with occasional white edges.  Delicate and ruffled with paper-like petals, they are quite unique.  They are a favourite flower in my garden throughout the summer months.

Sir Cedric Morris (1889-1982), was both an artist and a plant breeder.  At Benton End, Hadleigh, in Suffolk, he bred his own series of poppies in muted shades of grey, lilac and purple. Around 1910, he developed and then marketed these new poppies as ‘Sir Cedric Morris’ and they can now be found under the names of ‘Mother of Pearl’.

From 1980, Thompson & Morgan used the ‘Mother of Pearl’ strain to produce the fully double ‘Angels Choir Mixed’ strain. Since then new forms of Papaver rhoeas have been bred, including ‘Bridal Silk’, ‘Pandora’ and ‘Amazing Grey’.  Sir Cedric Morris painted a rather beautiful painting of his poppies in 1962, and a couple of the flowers appear to be quite similar to ‘Amazing Grey’.