Family: Papaveraceae
Common Name: Poppy

Consisting of around 80 species, these delightful annuals and perennials are very popular, bedding and border plants. They have long stems and delicate, cupped flowers in a range of oranges, yellows and reds, pink, cream and white in summer. These plants produce a milky sap and capsule-shaped fruit, containing many fine seeds.

Species

P. croceum, Iceland poppy, is a biennial, usually grown as an annual. It forms a rosette of pale green foliage from which emerge tall flower stems carrying saucer-shaped blooms in shades of yellow, red, orange, cream, pink or white in summer. There are many cultivars of Iceland poppy: 'Champagne Bubbles' has a wide range of soft colours, including pink and red and several shades of yellow; 'Oregon Rainbows' has quite large blooms in mixed colours, some being picotees and bicolours; and 'Wonderland' is a low grower in single or mixed colours.

P. orientale, Oriental poppy, is a tall-growing perennial with long, toothed and divided leaves and large, orange to scarlet flowers, with purple-black centres. There are many beautiful cultivars available, including 'Cedric Morris', with large, pink, frilly flowers, and 'Picotee', with white flowers, and almost pleated petals, margined in pinky orange. Flowering occurs from late spring to midsummer.

P. rhoeas is an annual known to many as the Flanders poppy. Naturalized in many parts of the world where it may also be known as the field or corn poppy, it has saucer-shaped, deep red flowers, often marked in black at the base, during summer. Cultivars of this species are available, some having double flowers in red, white or pink. The famous Shirley poppies are a selection of this species, with single or double flowers, in various colours.

P. somniferm, the opium poppy, has very large flowers in pink, white, red or mauve. Double forms sold as 'Paeony flowered' have very frilly blooms in a lovely range of colours.

Cultivation

Poppies prefer a rich, light, well-drained soil, a full-sun position, and protection from wind. Poppies are easily raised from seed. Sow the seeds of annuals and biennials out-doors in spring. Seedlings dislike disturbance, so do not transplant them. Seeds of perennials are sown at the same time but ideally in seed trays in a garden frame.

Pot up seedlings and then plant them out when they are large enough. Perennial poppies can also be propagated by division in spring or by root cuttings taken in winter. Cut the flowers of poppies for indoor floral displays early in the morning and plunge the ends of the stems into boiling water for about 15 seconds, before arranging the blooms in a vase.

Climate

There are species suited to various climatic zones.