Papaver orientale

RHS Plant Profile

oriental poppy

Other common names

eastern poppy

Herbaceous Perennial

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A perennial poppy, to 90cm high, with bristly stems and finely divided, dark green leaves covered with silvery hairs. In early to mid summer, produces pendent buds that straighten and open to large, bowl-shaped, orange-red flowers to 15cm across, with small purple-black blotches at the base of the petals

Position

Full sun

Soil Types

Chalk, Clay, Loam, Sand

Max Height

0.5-1 metres

Max Spread

0.5-1 metres

Size

Time to Maturity: 1–2 years
Max Spread: 0.5-1 metres
Max Height: 0.5-1 metres

Growing Conditions

Chalk Clay Loam Sand

Moisture: Moist but well–drained or Well–drained
pH: Acid or Alkaline or Neutral

Position

Full sun

Aspect: South–facing or West–facing
Exposure: Exposed or Sheltered
Hardiness

Hardiness Ratings

All ratings refer to the UK growing conditions unless otherwise stated. Minimum temperature ranges (in degrees C) are shown in brackets

H1A: under glass all year (>15C)
H1B: can be grown outside in the summer (10 - 15)
H1C: can be grown outside in the summer (5 - 10)
H2: tolerant of low temperatures, but not surviving being frozen (1 to 5)
H3: hardy in coastal and relatively mild parts of the UK (-5 to 1)
H4: hardy through most of the UK (-10 to -5)
H5: hardy in most places throughout the UK even in severe winters (-15 to -10)
H6: hardy in all of UK and northern Europe (-20 to -15)
H7: hardy in the severest European continental climates (< -20): H6

Colour & Scent

Season	Stem	Flower	Foliage	Fruit
Spring
Summer
Autumn
Winter

Botanical Details

Family: Papaveraceae
Native to GB/Ireland: No
Foliage: Deciduous
Habit: Bushy, Clump forming
Genus: Papaver can be annuals, biennials or herbaceous perennials with simple or pinnately divided leaves and short-lived, saucer-shaped, 4-petalled flowers which may be solitary or in racemes
Name Status: Correct

How to Grow

Cultivation

Will thrive in most soils, as long as there is good drainage, but a moderately fertile, humus-rich soil that is not too acidic is ideal. Position in full sun

Propagation

Propagate by seed, by division in spring, or by root cuttings in late autumn and early winter

Suggested planting locations and garden types

Cottage and informal garden
Coastal
Wildlife gardens
Flower borders and beds

Pruning

Cut spent flowering stems back to the ground, cut back foliage as it fades

Pests

May be susceptible to aphids

Diseases

May be susceptible to downy mildews, powdery mildews, fungal wilts and verticillium wilt