When renowned Scottish plant hunter George Sherriff returned home in 1933 from an expedition to Bhutan, he brought with him a plant that few believed actually existed.

Tales of a poppy as blue as the sky had been filtering back to the west for a century, but most people considered the flower to be no more than a myth, the horticultural equivalent of the Yeti.

Yet here it was, dazzling everyone who saw it with its beauty.

Gardeners across the UK rushed to snap up seeds, but most of them were thwarted in their efforts to grow meconopsis, as it was officially named, because it needed damp conditions and cool, dappled shade that gardeners in warmer parts of the country could not provide.

In Scotland, however, the Himalayan blue poppy found a home-from-home and today, in May, it flourishes across many woodland gardens. Scotland is also home to the Meconopsis Group, an international organisation whose members are dedicated to the conservation and cultivation of this unique group of flowers, which includes species from those countries, including Nepal and China, that share the Himalayan region.

To date around 90 different species of meconopsis – not all of them blue – have been identified – and many garden-worthy cultivars have been bred from these, while other varieties have arisen as accidental crosses as a result of cross-pollination in gardens between species that would never have coincided in the wild.

From Tuesday, 20 May, the Meconopsis Group will be at the Chelsea Flower Show, displaying Blue poppies and sharing advice on how to grow them, but to see them at their best, why not head to one of Scotland’s many beautiful woodland gardens where Blue poppies are now coming into flower. More details on all of these gardens are available at www.discoverscottishgardens.org

Branklyn Garden, Perth 

John and Dorothy Renton, who established Branklyn in the 1920s, sponsored many of George Sherriff’s expeditions, so they were amongst the first to receive meconopsis seed when he returned from Bhutan. Conditions in the garden proved to be ideal and today Branklyn holds a National Collection of large blue flowered meconopsis species and cultivars. Head gardener, Kate White and her team remove seed heads after flowerings and mulch with home made compost to ensure that these hungry plants are happy.

Tinnisburn Plants, Canonbie 

Nursery owner, Helen Knowles is president of the Meconopsis Group and amongst the plants that she grows at her nursery in Dumfries in Galloway is a National Collection of George Sherriff Group meconopsis. Some of the plants from Tinnisburn will be on display at Chelsea Flower Show when it opens on Tuesday, 20 May.

Cawdor Castle, Nairn

The high walls of Cawdor Castle contain 600 years of Scottish history, while the gardens that surround them are also steeped in stories and traditions. For many years these have included living links to Tibet, especially in the Achindoune gardens where Blue poppies flower amongst many Himalayan plants along the banks of the Cawdor Burn.

Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh

Scotland’s national botanic garden is home to a fine collection of meconopsis, which grow in the Lower Woodland Garden, surrounded by other Himalayan plants, including Cardiocrinum giganteum – the Himalayan lily that can reach a height of 3.5m – as well as swathes of colourful primulas. 

Dunvegan Castle, Skye

Himalayan poppies thrive in the cool, wet climate of the Isle of Skye. Although their preferred habitat is woodland gardens with damp shade, they do very well in a north-facing border in the 18^th century walled garden of Dunvegan Castle. The garden team propagates plants from seed annually, sowing it in autumn for best results.

Cluny House Gardens, Aberfeldy

This renowned garden is at its best in spring when the rhododendrons and azaleas are in flower, wild bluebells carpet the woodland floor and drifts of Candelabra primulas are displaying their petals in colourful whorls. It is against this backdrop that the Himalayan poppies appear, opening their silky flowers around the outer canopy edge of Cluny’s towering trees.

Dawyck Botanic Garden, Peebles

Dawyck’s 65 acres are a sanctuary for endangered species and the garden is home to some of the tallest and oldest trees in the UK. Meconopsis flourish here in great swathes close to the Scrape Burn. At the moment the Azalea Terrace is also in full flower, filling the garden with scent and vivid colours.

Glenarn, Rhu

The Blue poppies that grow at Glenarn appear perfectly at home amongst the many Himalayan plants that grow in this 12-acre garden overlooking the Gare Loch. Many rare rhododendrons flourish here including the scented Rhododendron lindleyi, which like the meconopsis, was introduced to cultivation by George Sherrriff, who collected it during an expedition in 1938.

Crarae Woodland Garden, Inverary

The Crarae Burn falls through a rugged gorge as it tumbles into Loch Fyne. The damp atmosphere around its waterfalls provides the ideal conditions for all kinds of high altitude plants to flourish and the Himalayan poppies grow in abundance along the ‘Meconopsis River’, flowing over the contours of the hillside.

Benmore Botanic Garden, Dunoon

Set high up on Benmore’s steep slopes is the Bhutanese pavilion, a traditional wooden structure that celebrates the garden’s fine collection of plants from Bhutan. Chief amongst these is the meconopsis, the national flower of one of the world’s highest kingdoms but which has put down roots in the cool, damp climate of Argyll.

Kirklands, Saline

At Kirklands in Fife, meconopsis grow on the steep terraces beneath the house, surrounded by an abundance of spring flowering plants. Every year owners Peter and Gill Hart dig up and divide hundreds of one particularly robust, sterile form to sell to visitors and sometimes seed-grown forms are also available.

Mount Stuart, Isle of Bute

Spread out across the 300 acres that surround one of Scotland’s architectural gems, lie 800 conifers, a sprawling rock garden made by a celebrity garden designer from the Victorian era, a ‘Wee garden’ that in fact covers five acres and a productive kitchen garden, however in May it is the celestial-blue Himalayan poppies that capture the attention of visitors.