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Papaver orientale

Common Name(s):

Phonetic Spelling
puh-PAY-ver o-rien-tay-lee
This plant has low severity poison characteristics.
See below
Description

Oriental poppy is a clump-forming herbaceous perennial in the poppy family that is native to Central Asia. The genus name "Papaver" comes from the Latin word for poppy and the species name "orientale" means from the Orient. It bears large cup-shaped flowers in orange, red, and pink with black centers in June-July. The finely divided gray-green leaves give it an airy texture in the landscape.  They die down after flowering and a basal rosette of leaves reappear in fall through winter until they grow vertically in the spring. They generally don't do well in heat and humidity or south of zone 7 and do need an adequate cold period in the winter in order to have good seed germination.

Plant in well-drained garden soil in full sun and do not over-water to prevent root rot of the deep taproot. Place among plants that will fill in to hide the hole left once die-down occurs. Plants can be propagated by seeds or root cuttings though you may not get a true flower color if you plant from seed.  

Plant Oriental poppies in large groups in a meadow landscape, in clumps along a border or walkway. Interplant them with plants that have interest later in the summer as they will leave an empty space in your design after they flower.  Some choices to consider are baby's breath (Gypsophila paniculata) or false chamomile (Boltonia asterodies) as they have sprawling forms and flower through the late summer and into early fall.

Insects, Diseases, and Other Plant Problems:  No serious problems.  Root rot can occur in poorly drained soils.  

More information on Papaver.

See this plant in the following landscapes:
Flowers Galore Cottage Garden
Cultivars / Varieties:
  • 'Patty's Plum'
  • 'Peter Pan'
    compact
  • 'Raspberry Queen'
  • 'Watermelon'
'Patty's Plum', 'Peter Pan', 'Raspberry Queen', 'Watermelon'
Tags:
#hummingbird friendly#full sun tolerant#drought tolerant#silvery#white flowers#pink flowers#red flowers#orange flowers#slopes#rabbit resistant#dappled sunlight#deer resistant#herbaceous perennial#Japanse garden#rock garden#border planting#cutting garden#prairies#walkway planting#sandy soils tolerant#loamy soils tolerant#rocky soils tolerant#dry soils tolerant#butterfly friendly#partial shade tolerant#bee friendly#meadow
 
Cultivars / Varieties:
  • 'Patty's Plum'
  • 'Peter Pan'
    compact
  • 'Raspberry Queen'
  • 'Watermelon'
'Patty's Plum', 'Peter Pan', 'Raspberry Queen', 'Watermelon'
Tags:
#hummingbird friendly#full sun tolerant#drought tolerant#silvery#white flowers#pink flowers#red flowers#orange flowers#slopes#rabbit resistant#dappled sunlight#deer resistant#herbaceous perennial#Japanse garden#rock garden#border planting#cutting garden#prairies#walkway planting#sandy soils tolerant#loamy soils tolerant#rocky soils tolerant#dry soils tolerant#butterfly friendly#partial shade tolerant#bee friendly#meadow
  • Attributes:
    Genus:
    Papaver
    Species:
    orientale
    Family:
    Papaveraceae
    Life Cycle:
    Perennial
    Recommended Propagation Strategy:
    Root Cutting
    Seed
    Country Or Region Of Origin:
    Central Asia
    Wildlife Value:
    This plant attracts bees, butterflies, hummingbirds, and other wildlife.
    Play Value:
    Wildlife Food Source
    Particularly Resistant To (Insects/Diseases/Other Problems):
    sandy soil, loamy soil; dry soil; drought tolerant; deer and rabbit; insect and disease (in general)
    Edibility:
    Even though oriental poppies have some toxicity, condiments have been made out of seed heads when they are young.
    Dimensions:
    Height: 2 ft. 0 in. - 3 ft. 0 in.
    Width: 0 ft. 6 in. - 2 ft. 0 in.
  • Whole Plant Traits:
    Plant Type:
    Herbaceous Perennial
    Woody Plant Leaf Characteristics:
    Deciduous
    Habit/Form:
    Clumping
    Spreading
    Growth Rate:
    Medium
    Maintenance:
    Medium
    Texture:
    Fine
  • Cultural Conditions:
    Light:
    Dappled Sunlight (Shade through upper canopy all day)
    Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day)
    Soil Texture:
    Loam (Silt)
    Sand
    Soil pH:
    Acid (<6.0)
    Alkaline (>8.0)
    Neutral (6.0-8.0)
    Soil Drainage:
    Good Drainage
    Occasionally Dry
    Available Space To Plant:
    12 inches-3 feet
    NC Region:
    Mountains
    USDA Plant Hardiness Zone:
    3a, 3b, 4a, 4b, 5a, 5b, 6a, 6b, 7a, 7b
  • Fruit:
    Display/Harvest Time:
    Summer
    Fruit Description:
    Ripening of seeds occur in mid-late summer (July to August).
  • Flowers:
    Flower Color:
    Black
    Orange
    Pink
    Purple/Lavender
    Red/Burgundy
    White
    Flower Inflorescence:
    Head
    Flower Value To Gardener:
    Good Cut
    Showy
    Flower Bloom Time:
    Spring
    Summer
    Flower Shape:
    Cup
    Flower Petals:
    7 - 20 petals/rays
    Flower Size:
    3-6 inches
    Flower Description:
    Flowers bloom in late spring or early summer. 4-6 inch showy flowers have black/purple centers surrounded by petals that can be pink, red, white, or orange.
  • Leaves:
    Woody Plant Leaf Characteristics:
    Deciduous
    Leaf Color:
    Gray/Silver
    Green
    Leaf Value To Gardener:
    Showy
    Leaf Type:
    Compound (Pinnately , Bipinnately, Palmately)
    Leaf Arrangement:
    Alternate
    Leaf Margin:
    Serrate
    Hairs Present:
    Yes
    Leaf Description:
    Gray-green basal thistle-like leaves are pinnately dissected and hairy.
  • Stem:
    Stem Color:
    Green
    Stem Is Aromatic:
    No
    Stem Surface:
    Hairy (pubescent)
  • Landscape:
    Landscape Location:
    Container
    Meadow
    Slope/Bank
    Landscape Theme:
    Asian Garden
    Cottage Garden
    Drought Tolerant Garden
    Pollinator Garden
    Design Feature:
    Border
    Attracts:
    Bees
    Butterflies
    Hummingbirds
    Resistance To Challenges:
    Deer
    Diseases
    Drought
    Dry Soil
    Insect Pests
    Rabbits
  • Poisonous to Humans:
    Poison Severity:
    Low
    Poison Symptoms:
    Toxicity (usually low) to animals has occurred from Papaver plants. Since toxicity has occurred with similar plants, it is suggested this plant has toxicity too. All parts are poisonous including the juice.
    Poison Toxic Principle:
    unknown
    Causes Contact Dermatitis:
    No
    Poison Part:
    Bark
    Flowers
    Fruits
    Leaves
    Roots
    Seeds
    Stems