Highlights of the garden from late spring to early summer, Oriental Poppies (Papaver orientale) are truly eye-catching perennials with their huge, silky-satin flowers in shades of red, orange, white or pink. Planted in small groups, their bold blossoms will give a colorful punch to your borders and draw the attention!

• Growing in clumps up to 2-3 feet tall and wide (60-90 cm), the flowers are generally 4-6 inches wide (10-15 cm) with purple-black centers atop stems clad with thistle-like, silvery-green leaves.
• Incredibly showy, the flowers last about 10 days or so before fading away for another year.
• 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 the visual interest they bring.

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• Easy to grow, Oriental poppies prefer full sun - at least 6 hours of direct sunlight per day. They tolerate part shade, but will bloom less profusely.
• Oriental poppies prefer rich, fertile, medium moisture, well-drained soils. Average garden soils are acceptable as long as drainage is good. Mulch in winter until well established.
• Oriental poppies are reliably perennial in Hardiness Zones 3 - 8. Not sure about your growing zone? Check here.
• These plants do not respond well to high summer heat and humidity, which makes them difficult to grow in the U.S. south and in hardiness zones higher than 7.
• Long-lived and virtually care-free, Oriental poppies are deer and rabbit resistant.

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• Oriental poppies are exquisite additions to beds and borders, rock gardens or cottage gardens.
• They go dormant after flowering, totally disappearing by mid to late summer. Ensure that other later performers fill the gaps. Combine them with Baby's Breath (Gypsophila paniculata), Russian sage (Perovskia atriplicifolia) or Shasta Daisy (Chrysanthemum x superbum) as a superb way of filling the gaps left by the dormant poppies.
• Cut them down once flowers fade and foliage looks tatty.
• Oriental Poppies do not have serious pest or disease issues. Keep an eye out for botrytis and powdery mildew.
• They may be grown from seed and tend to self-seed in the garden.
• Propagate by division in spring or propagate by root cuttings in late autumn to early winter.
• The best time to plant poppies is in the fall. Container-grown plants can be planted in spring.

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