Perennial
Oriental poppy
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flowers | Flowers in May | Flowers in June | ||||||||||
| Plant | Plant in March | Plant in April | Plant in September | Plant in October | ||||||||
| Prune | Prune in July | |||||||||||
| Looks good | Looks good in May | Looks good in June |
Overview
Huge, papery, bowl-shaped flowers open from hairy buds above coarse, bristly leaves, often with a black blotch at the base of each petal and a boss of dark stamens. Bees roll about in the pollen. Scarlet 'Beauty of Livermere' is the classic, 'Patty's Plum' is a dusky mauve, and 'Perry's White' is ice white. The ribbed seed heads that follow are handsome in arrangements. Cut flowers last longer if you sear the stem ends briefly in boiling water before arranging them.
Where to grow oriental poppy
Give them full sun and deep, free-draining soil. They have a long taproot and tolerate dry spells well once settled, but they sulk in waterlogged clay. Position them mid-border, where later perennials will hide the bare patch from July.
Planting
Plant pot-grown poppies in spring or early autumn, 60 cm apart, and leave them be; the taproot resents being moved, and any broken piece left in the soil may sprout.
Care through the year
Spring
Put in hoop or twiggy supports early, before the heavy buds form.
Summer
After flowering, cut the whole plant down and water once; fresh leaves soon return.
Autumn
A low rosette of new foliage persists; weed around it carefully.
Winter
The best time to take root cuttings.
Pruning
Once flowering ends in early July, cut all stems and leaves back to ground level. Leave a few seed heads first if you want to dry them.
Propagation
Take root cuttings in winter: lift a section of root, cut 5–7 cm lengths, and push them upright into pots of gritty compost. Seed-raised plants vary in colour.
Common problems
Downy mildew can cause dark blotched leaves in damp years; remove affected growth and do not crowd plants. Floppy flower stems mean they need support or leaner soil.
Guides to the problems most likely to affect oriental poppy:
Something else wrong? Diagnose it by symptom.
Month-by-month reminders
Jobs for this plant come round in March, April, July, September and October. Each month page lists everything else worth doing in the garden at the same time.
Related plants
Sources
Botanical names follow Kew's Plants of the World Online; growing attributes were checked against the references below. Text is our own. See our editorial policy.