Without a doubt, the Oriental poppy is one of the choicest perennials. It is the most conspicuously beautiful plant in the spring landscape—the outstanding plant of May and early June.
In warmer regions, new poppy leaves are green and lovely as early as January, and in all sections, the large, fern-like leaves are up in time to enhance early spring bulbs. Then, as tulips and other bulbs fade, large, long-stemmed buds open to make glorious splashes of vibrant color.
Though one established plant sends up many blooms and is effective enough, groups of three to five make a more beautiful picture, and nothing surpasses the charm of choice iris and a group of poppies.
Planting Poppies in Groups
I advise planting poppies in groups and spacing plants 2’ feet apart. Spaced thus, the foliage and flowers make stunning clumps and allow the gardener to set annuals or such later perennials as chrysanthemums among them to cover up the bare spots left when the poppies die down after blooming.
When petals fall, stems may be cut off about 2” inches above the ground, but the foliage must be left to turn yellow.
Incidentally, though Oriental poppies do best in full sun and with plenty of air around them, they are not bothered by plants growing quite near them (even though the latter cover them completely ) later in the season.
The only thing to watch for is to see that the crowns of poppies are not damaged when cultivating later-blooming plants growing near them.
To eliminate cultivating and the danger of damaging crowns, I mulch all plants set near poppies except the tall bearded iris.
Later in the fall, when leaves start up again, I also mulch poppy plants to keep the soil around them from heaving in winter. I place a light mulch around the crowns and under the leaves, taking care not to smother the leaves.
The Oriental poppy flourishes in Canada and in the northern half and the mountainous southern half of the United States, but not apparently, in the Gulf States.
Since it is a hybrid and there is only one chance in a thousand that a seedling will resemble its parent, it is futile to try to raise fine plants from seed.
Culture
Rather, strong two-year-old plants should be bought from a reliable dealer from August through October. By the way, this period is the only time poppies can be transplanted satisfactorily.
In regions suited to it, the Oriental poppy is easy to grow in almost any type of soil as long as it drains well. Once established, a plant lives many years and needs nothing but to have the weeds around it removed.
The few people who have had difficulty growing plants may have had trouble for only two reasons of which I am aware. One comes from digging a hole in heavy soil and filling it with nice, loose soil.
This does nothing more than create a water pocket. Though poppies appreciate good soil, it is better to plant them in what soil is available than to put them in a water pocket. As I said before, the Oriental poppy insists on well-drained soil.
Trouble Due To Watering
The other reason for trouble may be due to watering at the time plants are dormant. Oriental poppies bloom in spring and then rest. They are very apt to be dormant when received from August through October.
When planted at this time, therefore, they should be given only enough water to settle the soil around their roots and no more.
A dormant plant does not need water. Indeed, constant watering to bring it up when it should be resting may cause it to rot.
Once planted, poppies should be left alone.
Propagation of Plants is Done By Dividing Roots
All named varieties are developed from pieces of roots of the first or original plant. Propagating, too, is simple. Pieces of roots of an old plant, at least 3” inches long, are cut in August or early September.
They are planted upright with the tops about 3” inches below the top of the soil. Cuttings 3 inches long become blooming size plants in two years. Larger cuttings with several branching roots bloom next spring.
All Oriental poppies make splendid cut flowers provided the ends of the stems are charred at the gas range or over any flame as soon as cut.
If this is not done, the milky juice oozing out of the stem will seal the end and prevent water from entering it.
Below, I list some fine varieties, grouping them by color. As trying to convey the exact tint or shade by a word is difficult, especially in the case of various pinks, I suggest that selection be made from blooming plants whenever possible.
Varieties
White
- Barrs White
- Perrys White
- White Queen
- White Splendor
About equal in value. The last two are later introductions and a shade better.
Light Pink
- Cheerio
- Dainty Lady
- New Perfection
- Sass Pink
- Spring Morn
We need many more good light pinks. Cheerio, a flesh pink, has a red blotch. New Perfection, a sea shell pink, is a little deeper than the others. Spring Morn is the largest.
These three are my favorites.
Salmon Rose
- Perfection
- Ridgewood Beauty
- Sweetheart
Perfection, a late-blooming old-timer, is one of the finest. Sweetheart is a true pink. Ridgewood Beauty has the finest form of any. It has a deeply ruffled cup-shaped bloom and petals so wide they make a double row.
Salmon Pink
- Betty Ann
- Curtis Salmon Pink
- Mary J. Miller
- Helen Elizabeth
- Lachs Konigin
- Watteau
Images:
Charming border companions—Oriental poppies and iris are a vibrant note in the Curtis garden. Red poppy Arthur Curtis (hard to pick out in this black and white photo) and White Splendor make good neighbors for White Goddess Iris.
Here true pink poppy Sweetheart and blue iris Great Lakes peep over a buffer of blue flax. A bonus in poppy iris groups is their complementing sword and fern foliage.
44659 by A.E. Curtis