Ornamental · Papaveraceae
Oriental Poppy
Papaver orientale
Give it full sun and sharp drainage, and the oriental poppy pays you back with huge silken blooms each spring.
Full sun
Every 7–14 days
USDA 3–7
24–35 in · 60–90 cm
Overview
Ever wanted one plant that stops people in their tracks? The oriental poppy is grown for its enormous, crepe-paper flowers in scarlet, orange, plum, and crimson that open in late spring. Sure, each bloom only lasts a few days, but a whole clump in flower is about as bold as a garden gets. And it keeps coming back from a deep, fleshy taproot year after year, shrugging off winters as cold as -40°F (-40°C).
There's one quirk you'll want to know before planting it, though. Once it's finished flowering, the whole plant goes dormant for the summer, the leaves yellow and die off, and the spot sits bare until fresh foliage shows up again in fall. That gap is totally normal, not a sign that something's wrong, and it's worth thinking about when you decide where to put the plant and what to grow next to it.
Honestly, poppies don't ask for much beyond sun and good drainage. Once a clump has settled in it handles drought just fine, and it would rather you leave it be than fuss over it, especially with the watering can. Plant it well and step back, and it'll outlast most of the perennials around it.
Care
The short version: full sun and sharp, well-drained soil, watered only when the top half has dried out. Give it a light feed in spring, expect it to disappear in midsummer, and otherwise just leave the deep taproot alone.
Light
Give an oriental poppy full sun if you want the best flowering, though it'll put up with a bit of partial shade. The more direct light it gets, the sturdier the stems and the heavier the bloom.
Water
Let the top half of the soil dry out between waterings, which usually works out to about every 7 to 14 days. Once it's established it handles drought no problem, and soggy ground? That's the quickest way to rot the taproot. During its summer nap it barely wants any water at all.
Soil
Go with well-drained loam or sandy soil, which matters way more here than how rich the soil is. It's fine with a wide pH range, anywhere from 6.0 to 8.0, but it won't forgive a heavy, wet spot.
Temperature
This is a genuinely tough, cold-hardy perennial, happy from -40°F to 86°F (-40°C to 30°C). That deep taproot rides out hard winters without any protection at all.
Humidity
Regular outdoor humidity is all it needs, so there's no number to hit. Good drainage and airflow matter a whole lot more than moisture in the air.
Feeding
One spring feed does the trick, either a balanced general-purpose fertilizer or a topdressing of compost. And once it heads into its summer rest? No need to feed it at all.
Pruning
Deadhead the spent blooms, then cut back the yellowing leaves once the plant slips into summer dormancy. Fresh basal leaves show up in fall, so that cut-back clump is just resting, not dead.
Repotting
Oriental poppies really don't like being disturbed, so they're rarely moved or divided. If the flowering drops off and the clump looks crowded and tired, that's your cue it's finally outgrown its spot.
Size & spacing
Plants get to about 24 to 35 inches (60 to 90 cm) tall with a spread of 6 to 24 inches (15 to 60 cm). Give each clump plenty of room to settle in, since it won't thank you for lifting it later.
When to plant
Oriental poppies run on a spring schedule, and it's an easy one to keep. Plant them in spring or fall, look out for the big blooms in late spring and early summer, then let them ease into dormancy through the hottest part of the year.
Northern hemisphere
Southern hemisphere
Typical months for a temperate climate: start earlier in warm zones, later where spring frosts linger.
- Sow: Late winter to early spring
- Plant: Spring or fall
- Harvest: Late spring to early summer
Hardiness
USDA hardiness zones: 3–7
Temperature: down to -40°C
Troubleshooting
Oriental poppies are tough, so trouble doesn't come up often, and when it does it's usually one of two things: soil that holds too much water, or that natural midsummer dieback that throws new growers for a loop. Match what you're seeing to the notes below before you go reaching for a fix.
Wilting plant with a blackened crown and collapse
Seeing a wilting plant with a dark crown that's caving in? That's root rot, and it nearly always comes back to soil that stays too wet. Dig down near the fleshy taproot and you'll probably find roots that are soft, dark, and smell awful. Ease off the watering, mix some sand or grit into the bed so it drains better, and if the ground just won't dry out, move the plant somewhere raised and drier.
Fix:
- Improve drainage by amending soil with sand or grit
- Reduce watering and avoid wet sites
- Move or replant in a raised, well-drained location
Foliage yellows and dies back, leaving a midsummer gap
Don't panic when this shows up, because it's just summer dormancy, not a disease, and it happens like clockwork once the flowers are done. The leaves wither, the clump seems to disappear, and then fresh basal foliage pops back up in fall. So trim off the tired leaves and pop a later-rising neighbor like baby's breath or Boltonia right beside it, and the border won't sit there looking empty.
Fix:
- Cut away withered foliage
- Interplant with later-developing perennials to fill the void
Toxicity
Here's the one thing to take seriously: this plant is poisonous from top to bottom. Every part carries isoquinoline alkaloids in its milky sap, so chewing the leaves, stems, or pods can sedate and sicken pets, livestock, and people alike. Keep cats, dogs, horses, and grazing animals well away, don't let kids near the blooms or seed pods, and wash your hands after cutting stems.
Toxic to
Cats · Dogs · Horses · Rabbits · Livestock · Birds · People
Cats Toxic
If a cat chews the leaves or sap, it can get drowsy and a little wobbly, lose its appetite, and end up with an upset stomach. And a really big mouthful? That can knock it into a deep sleep it's tough to wake from, so it's worth keeping the plant out of reach.
Dogs Toxic
With a dog, keep an eye out for sleepiness, a wobbly walk, drooling, and a dinner that goes untouched. The alkaloids in the sap work on the nervous system, so a big bite can leave a dog really sluggish.
Horses Toxic
A horse that gets into the foliage or trimmings usually goes quiet and drowsy, with a stomach that isn't happy. Best to keep poppy out of reach and nowhere near what they graze on.
Rabbits Toxic
Those same alkaloids mean no part of the plant is safe for a rabbit. So don't let them nibble the leaves, and keep any clippings out of the hutch.
Livestock Toxic
Cattle, sheep, and goats can get sedated and sick from the foliage, so fence them off from any planting. And never toss trimmings into a pasture.
Birds Caution
Since the toxic alkaloids run through the whole plant, it's off-limits for pet birds. Just don't offer them any part of it.
People Caution
No part of an oriental poppy is food, and eating it can make a person ill. So keep kids away from the showy blooms and the seed pods, and wash your hands after you've handled the milky sap.
Keep cut stems and plant trimmings away from pets and grazing animals; wash hands after handling the milky sap.
Helpline numbers
United States
ASPCA Animal Poison Control: (888) 426-4435 (fee applies)
Poison Control: (800) 222-1222
Canada
Poison Centres: 1-844-764-7669
Varieties
Most of the oriental poppies you'll find for sale are named cultivars, picked for their flower color and height. Here are the ones you'll bump into most often.
Beauty of Livermere
It's one of the taller ones at 2 to 3 feet, with deep crimson-red flowers, and since it self-seeds readily you can grow it from seed too.
Patty's Plum
This one's all about those dusky plum-mauve flowers, held up on stems around 2 to 2.5 feet tall.
Allegro
It's a compact little thing at 1 to 1.5 feet, and its bright orange-scarlet flowers are great for the front of a border.
Turkenlouis
It's the showy one, with fringed, feathered scarlet-orange petals on stems 2 to 3 feet tall.
Companions
Plant near
Baby's breath (Gypsophila paniculata): Its sprawling form expands later in summer to fill the gap left when poppy foliage dies back.
Boltonia (Boltonia asteroides): Flowers in late summer and early fall, masking the void left by the dormant poppy.
How to propagate
Want more oriental poppies? You can split an established clump or start fresh from seed, though heads up, neither one is quick to pay off.
DivisionModerate
Fall, about four to six weeks before the ground freezes · 4 to 6 weeks to root before freeze; full establishment the following season
Here's the deal with dividing: lift the fleshy roots in fall and split them, and try to do it four to six weeks before the ground freezes so each piece has time to root in before winter. The divisions will settle in that season, but they won't really flower well until the following year, so hang in there.
SeedModerate
Late winter to early spring, or sow outdoors in fall · One to two seasons to reach flowering size
Sow in late winter to early spring, or just scatter seed outdoors in fall, and press it onto the surface instead of burying it, since poppy seed needs light to sprout. Want flowers fast? You'll have to wait, because a seedling takes one to two seasons to reach flowering size, and some cultivars will self-seed once they're happy.
Myths
Oriental poppies are the opium poppy and are illegal to grow.
Nope, opium comes from Papaver somniferum, which is a totally different species. Papaver orientale is an ordinary ornamental perennial, one people have grown in gardens for generations, and it just isn't the opium poppy.