18 Types of Poppies to Discover

Oriental Poppy, Flanders Poppy, Shirley Poppy, Opium Poppy, Iceland Poppy, Himalayan Poppy, Blue Poppy, California Poppy, Plume Poppy, Matilija Poppy, Celandine Poppy, Prickly Poppy,

Poppies, Poppy, Oriental Poppy, Flanders Poppy, Shirley Poppy, Opium Poppy, Iceland Poppy, Himalayan Poppy, Blue Poppy, California Poppy, Plume Poppy, Matilija Poppy, Celandine Poppy, Prickly Poppy,

Cherished by gardeners, poppies are lovely at providing cheerful spring and summer color in gardens, containers, and bouquets.

There are about 250 species of poppies grown across the world. They belong to the poppy family, Papaveraceae, which includes 23 genera, distributed mainly in the northern temperate hemisphere.
Their delicate flowers are usually large. They can be single, semi-double, or fully double, some with deeply cut fringed petals, others resembling peonies. They are available in various colors, including rich crimson red, coral orange, peach, sunny yellow, soft pink, lavender, cream, and even blue.
Many poppies have short-lived flowers, but their flower buds open in succession and reward us with a dazzling show for several weeks.
Once their petals fall away, many poppies remain attractive and ornamental. They boast incredibly decorative seed pods that can be used in dried flower arrangements or left in the garden for the visual interest they bring.

Guide Information

Hardiness	2 - 11
Plant Type	Annuals, Perennials, Shrubs
Genus	Papaver

Eschscholzia californica (California Poppy)

Papaver alpinum (Alpine Poppy)

Papaver rhoeas (Flanders Poppy)

Meconopsis (Blue Poppy)

Papaver orientale (Oriental Poppy)

Papaver somniferum (Opium Poppy)

Most poppies are annual, biennial, or perennial plants, except for some California natives (Dendromecon, Romneya) that are woody shrubs or sub-shrubs.
Poppies grow in USDA Hardiness Zones 2 to 11, depending on species and cultivar.
Poppies can grow from under a foot tall (30 cm) to 10 ft. tall (3 m) or more, depending on the species.
Popular species prized by gardeners are Oriental Poppies (Papaver orientale), Opium Poppies (Papaver somniferum), Iceland Poppies (Papaver nudicaule), Welsh poppies (Papaver cambricum), California Poppies (Eschscholzia californica), Flanders Poppies (Papaver rhoeas), and the strikingly beautiful Himalayan or Blue Poppies (Meconopsis).
Some species do well in the heat (Spanish poppies), while others thrive in cool weather (Himalayan, Alpine, Iceland, or Flanders poppies).
Many Poppies thrive in full sun, while others prefer partial shade to produce genuinely magnificent flowers ((Himalayan poppies, Celandine poppies, or Wood poppies).
Some poppy species are drought-tolerant (Spanish poppies, California poppies, Matilija poppies), while others require moist soils to perform well (Himalayan poppies, Celandine poppies, Wood Poppies, Welsh Poppies).

Glaucidium palmatum (Japanese Wood Poppy)

Macleaya microcarpa ‘Kelway’s Coral Plume’ (Plume Poppy)

Papaver atlanticum (Moroccan Poppy)

Papaver bracteatum (Great Scarlet Poppy)

Romneya coulteri (Matilija Poppy)

Sanguinaria canadensis (Bloodroot)

Most perennial poppies and hardy annual poppies are perfect for cottage and wildflower gardens, while the small Alpine poppies are lovely in rock gardens, screens, or containers.
Some poppy species make wonderful cut flowers: Oriental Poppies (Papaver orientale), Iceland Poppies (Papaver nudicaule), Tulip Poppies (Hunnemannia fumariifolia), California Poppies (Eschscholzia californica) and Plume poppies (Macleaya microcarpa and Macleaya cordata. There is, however, a little trick to getting them to stay beautiful. When the stem is cut, sap seeps out, preventing water from being absorbed. This can be overcome by placing the cut ends into boiling water for a few seconds or by burning the ends to stop the milky sap flow. Poppies are also best cut just before the flower buds burst open.
Most poppies self-seed, popping up wherever they please if you allow the seed pods to mature and drop. Most poppies can be grown from seed.
Most poppies have no serious pest or disease issues.
Most poppies are toxic to varying degrees. They contain alkaloid compounds in their leaves, flower, stem, and seeds, that are toxic to people, dogs, cats, horses, and livestock if ingested in uncontrolled doses.

Dendromecon rigida (Bush Poppy)

Papaver cambricum (Welsh Poppy)

Papaver commutatum ‘Ladybird’ (Poppy)

Papaver nudicaule (Iceland Poppy)

Papaver rupifragum ‘Flore Pleno’ (Spanish Poppy)

Stylophorum diphyllum (Celandine Poppy)

Garden Examples

A Lovely Spring Border Idea with Siberian Irises and Oriental Poppies

Compare All Papaver (Poppy)

Compare Now

Explore Great Plant Combination Ideas

Papaver (Poppy)

Guides with

Papaver (Poppy)

Littlekiss Photography, Shutterstock

While every effort has been made to describe these plants accurately, please keep in mind that height, bloom time, and color may differ in various climates. The description of these plants has been written based on numerous outside resources.