Snow Poppy (Eomecon Chionantha)

Features and Characteristics

Eomecom chionantha, commonly called snow poppy, is a rhizomatous perennial in the poppy family that is native to moist forested areas and riverbanks in eastern China. It is related to the bloodroots of North America (Sanguinaria), and is sometimes commonly called Asian bloodroot or Chinese bloodroot in part because its rhizomes ooze orange-red sap when bruised or cut. Plants have basal leaves only which rise from the spreading rhizomes on long petioles (to 6-8″) to form attractive upright clumps. The basal leaves (3-6″ long) are fleshy, ovate to rounded, scallop-edged, cordate and palmately-veined. Nodding, 4-petaled, poppy-like white flowers (1-2″ across) bloom in late spring in few-flowered terminal clusters atop upright branching stems rising slightly above the foliage clump to 18″ tall. Each flower has a showy mass of golden yellow center stamens.

Genus name comes from the Greek words eos meaning dawn or the east and mekon meaning a poppy.

Specific epithet comes from the Greek words chion meaning snow and anthos meaning flower in reference to the flower color as described by the primary common name of snow poppy.