Oriental Poppy
Highlights of the garden from late spring to early summer, Oriental Poppies (Papaver orientale) are eye-catching perennials with their huge, silky-satin flowers. Planted in small groups, their bold blossoms will give a colorful punch to your borders and draw your attention!
Papaver orientale, commonly known as Oriental Poppy, is a perennial flowering plant in the Papaveraceae family. Native to the Caucasus, northeastern Turkey, and northern Iran, it’s widely cultivated for its large, vibrant, and showy flowers.
Habit and Size: Oriental Poppies have a clump-forming growth habit. The plant produces a rosette of hairy leaves deeply divided into lance-shaped segments. They can grow up to 2-4 feet (60-120 cm) tall and 18-24 inches (45-60 cm) wide, though most garden varieties are somewhat smaller.
Flowers: One of the main attractions of the Oriental Poppy is its flowers. The blooms can reach up to 6 inches (15 cm) across, displaying four to six petals with a dark blotch at the base. Colors range from bright scarlet to pink, white, and orange, with a black or sometimes dark purple center formed by the clustered stamens.
Blooming Season: The Oriental Poppy’s blooming season is late spring to early summer. Incredibly showy, the flowers last about 10 days before fading away for another year. After blooming, the foliage dies back during the heat of summer, only to regrow as the weather cools in the fall.
Seedpods: The seedpods that follow the fading flowers are quite attractive and keep the display going for a few more weeks after the flowers have faded. They can be used in dried flower arrangements or left in the garden for their visual interest.
Hardiness: It is hardy in USDA zones 3 through 8. These plants do not respond well to high summer heat and humidity.
Uses: This plant’s strikingly beautiful flowers make it a popular choice in mixed borders, cottage gardens, and cutting gardens. It’s used for its high-impact colors and its dramatic, large flowers.
Pollinators: The flowers of Papaver orientale are a significant attraction for bees, butterflies, hummingbirds and other pollinators, with their bright colors and generous pollen offering.
Deer and Rabbit: Deer and rabbits tend to avoid Oriental poppies, likely due to its hairy stems and leaves.
Unique lifecycle: A notable fact about Papaver orientale is its contrasting lifecycle. It puts on a spectacular show of color in late spring and early summer but goes dormant and disappears completely in the heat of summer. The plant returns as the weather cools in late summer or early fall, presenting a fresh mound of foliage. This unique cycle can be a useful consideration when planning a garden’s continuous display.
Hardiness |
3 - 8 |
---|---|
Heat Zones |
1 - 9 |
Climate Zones | 1, 1A, 1B, 2, 2A, 2B, 3, 3A, 3B, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, A1, A2, A3 |
Plant Type | Perennials |
Genus | Papaver |
Exposure | Full Sun |
Season of Interest | Spring (Late), Summer (Early) |
Height | 2' - 4' (60cm - 120cm) |
Spread | 1' - 2' (30cm - 60cm) |
Maintenance | Average |
Water Needs | Average |
Soil Type | Chalk, Clay, Loam, Sand |
Soil pH | Acid, Alkaline, Neutral |
Soil Drainage | Well-Drained, Moist but Well-Drained |
Characteristics | Cut Flowers, Showy |
Tolerance | Drought, Deer, Rabbit |
Attracts | Butterflies, Bees, Hummingbirds |
Landscaping Ideas | Beds And Borders, Edging |
Garden Styles | Gravel and Rock Garden, Informal and Cottage, Japanese Garden, Prairie and Meadow |
Hardiness |
3 - 8 |
---|---|
Heat Zones |
1 - 9 |
Climate Zones | 1, 1A, 1B, 2, 2A, 2B, 3, 3A, 3B, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, A1, A2, A3 |
Plant Type | Perennials |
Genus | Papaver |
Exposure | Full Sun |
Season of Interest | Spring (Late), Summer (Early) |
Height | 2' - 4' (60cm - 120cm) |
Spread | 1' - 2' (30cm - 60cm) |
Maintenance | Average |
Water Needs | Average |
Soil Type | Chalk, Clay, Loam, Sand |
Soil pH | Acid, Alkaline, Neutral |
Soil Drainage | Well-Drained, Moist but Well-Drained |
Characteristics | Cut Flowers, Showy |
Tolerance | Drought, Deer, Rabbit |
Attracts | Butterflies, Bees, Hummingbirds |
Landscaping Ideas | Beds And Borders, Edging |
Garden Styles | Gravel and Rock Garden, Informal and Cottage, Japanese Garden, Prairie and Meadow |
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Create a membership account to save your garden designs and to view them on any device.
Becoming a contributing member of Gardenia is easy and can be done in just a few minutes. If you provide us with your name, email address and the payment of a modest $25 annual membership fee, you will become a full member, enabling you to design and save up to 25 of your garden design ideas.
Join now and start creating your dream garden!