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Meconopsis pilosula in western Sichuan on Mount Balan.

Meconopsis jiajinshanensis.

Meconopsis blooms on the Jiajin Mountain at an altitude of more than 4,000 meters.

Meconopsis integron blooming in Jiajin Mountain.

Meconopsis, which grows on the snow-capped mountains in western China, is known as the flower closest to the sky. Most Meconopsis flowers bloom only once in their lifetime. More than 100 years ago, it was discovered and spread by Western "plant hunters" and is a household name in the West. It is a close relative of opium poppy and corn poppy, and appears mysterious and unruly. In the cold and high-altitude areas, it blooms like a gem on the plateau, shining with the light of life.

1
They are the flowers closest to the sky

Meconopsis is the general name for plants of the genus Meconopsis in the family Papaveraceae. There are about 79 species of Meconopsis in the world, most of which are distributed in snow-capped meadows, alpine shrubs, and rocky beaches at an altitude of 3,000 to 5,000 meters in the Himalayas and Hengduan Mountains in China. From May to October every year, when other flowers are afraid to bloom in the extreme alpine climate, various Meconopsis species bloom freely in bright colors such as blue, purple, and yellow.
The spiny meconopsis, which is distributed in Tibet, northwest Yunnan, Sichuan, Qinghai, and western Gansu, can grow up to an altitude of about 5,400 meters, so it is also called the flower closest to the sky. In the "National Key Protected Wild Plant List" released on September 7, 2021, red-flowered meconopsis was included together with long-term meconopsis and hairy-petaled meconopsis, and the protection level is level 2.

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"Oriental Beauty" in the Eyes of Plant Hunters

In June 1903, Wilson, a famous British botanist and horticulturalist, set out from Leshan to Kangding to look for Meconopsis integrinus with yellow flowers. He followed the ancient Tea Horse Road and arrived in Kangding via Hanyuan in Ya'an and Luding County in Ganzi Prefecture. On July 16, Wilson left Kangding and headed southwest to Yajiagang. At an altitude of 3,500 meters on the hillside, he finally found the first Meconopsis integrinus with flowers.
Wilson later described in his diary his search for Meconopsis in Balan Mountain: "The plant species on the grassy ridge that extends to the Balan Pass have obvious alpine characteristics, and the number of flowers is astonishingly large. Most of the herbs that grow vigorously are blooming yellow flowers. This color has an absolute advantage. Above 11,500 feet (Note: about 3,505 meters) above sea level, the gorgeous Meconopsis in its huge, spherical, inward-curved yellow flowers bloom on the hillsides, stretching for miles. Tens of millions of incomparable Meconopsis, 2-2.5 feet (Note: about 0.6-0.76 meters) high, tower above other herbs, presenting a magnificent landscape. I believe that there will never be another place that is so exaggerated and luxurious."
After returning to his hometown, the gardening company Wilson belonged to specially made a brooch in the shape of a "Meconopsis" using 5 pieces of pure gold and 41 diamonds as a reward for him.

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The life journey of a flower that blooms only once in a lifetime

In the Balang Mountain and Jiajin Mountain area of ​​Sichuan, the Meconopsis integrifolia blooms in May, marking the beginning of the plateau flower viewing season. Until midsummer in August, yellow, red and blue Meconopsis bloom in patches, forming a spectacular sea of ​​Meconopsis flowers.
Unlike Balang Mountain, the petals of Meconopsis odoratus in Jiajin Mountain, which borders Baoxing County in Ya'an and Xiaojin County in Aba Prefecture, are dark red to dark purple-black, forming a strong visual contrast with the golden anthers. This special community is now subdivided into "Jiajin Mountain Meconopsis odoratus".
Don't underestimate these dark red flowers. In the living conditions of thin oxygen and biting cold winds, each plant of Meconopsis is particularly precious. The extreme climatic conditions in high-altitude areas have also allowed Meconopsis to develop a growth method that adapts to the extreme natural environment of the mountains.
Meconopsis is a perennial herb. It takes several years for Meconopsis to grow from a seed to maturity, bloom and bear fruit, spread seeds, complete a growth cycle, and then die. In the cold and snowy mountains, Meconopsis accumulates energy year after year, waiting for its highlight moment.
During the short growing season, Meconopsis needs to go all out to absorb nutrients and resist the cold to ensure that it can bloom successfully. Once the flowers bloom, they have exhausted all their strength and completed their life mission. On the top of the snow-capped mountains, Meconopsis is like a lonely warrior, guarding this land. Their life journey of blooming only once in a lifetime has become the most moving poem in nature.
West China Metropolis Daily-Cover News
Photo report by reporter Yang Tao