Oriental Poppy Flowers

Plant taxonomy classifies Oriental poppy flowers as Papaver orientale.

Papaver orientale is an herbaceous perennial.

The most commonly found Oriental poppy flowers come in orange (picture) and red, although many cultivars exist; possible alternatives to orange and red include pink, purple, white, peach and maroon. The large, thistle-like leaves are downy, deeply-lobed and rich green in color, offering not insignificant aesthetic value in their own right. The leaves are tightly packed, as this is a clump-forming plant. Flower stems are stiff and hairy. Overall plant height (when in bloom) is typically 3 feet. The pods that succeed the flowers also have something of an ornamental quality to them and are dried for crafts.

Indigenous to elevated lands in western Asia, Oriental poppy flowers are best grown in zones 3-7. These plants have naturalized in parts of North America. A cold-hardy plant that dislikes high heat and humidity, this perennial needs to go dormant in winter and, consequently, fares poorly for the most part south of planting zone 7.

Grow these plants in full sun and in a well-drained soil enriched with humus. This is a plant that dislikes "wet feet."

Apply mulch around Papaver orientale the first couple of years for winter protection. Propagate by seed rather than by transplanting (the clumps like to be left alone). Some growers stake the plants, especially in areas subject to high winds.

These plants are a classic for cottage gardens. But regardless of your garden design style, place them somewhere where you can fully appreciate them during their blooming period (May and/or June, depending on where you live), because oriental poppy flowers provide a spectacular, albeit brief show! If you're thinking in terms of sequence of bloom when planning a garden, grow them near a plant that reserves its best display for later in the summer: the latter will pick up the slack after your Papaver orientale has pooped out!

Besides Papaver orientale, perhaps the best known species are the Icelandic poppies (Papaver nudicaule), corn poppies (Papaver rhoeas; also called "Flanders poppy" or "field poppy"), and opium poppies (Papaver somniferum; the somniferum means "sleep-inducing" in Latin, a reference to the plant's narcotic properties).

No doubt, the size (ca. 4 inches) of the brightly-colored blooms -- whose texture invites comparisons with crepe paper -- are this plant's outstanding characteristic. The blossom petals usually sport a dark blotch at their base that only adds to their beauty. The large buds nod but raise their heads as the flowers unfurl. It's a good cut flower.

You have probably bought foods that incorporate poppy seeds, causing you to wonder if you could harvest the seeds from your own Oriental poppy and reproduce that flavor. But from what I've read, it seems that the poppy seeds used in cuisine typically come from opium poppy plants (Papaver somniferum). The seeds of your Papaver orientale may or may not be edible, but don't expect them to taste like the poppy seeds you enjoy on that favorite bagel at the coffee shop.

I always recommend exercising caution in regard to ingesting anything you're not sure about. Study up on the particular plant in question or consult an expert (I am not an expert on plant toxicity). In your research, also consider the fact that people aren't always referring to the same plant that you think they're referring to. For example, in this case, people sometimes refer to opium poppy plants, too, as "Oriental poppies," even though Papaver somniferum and Papaver orientale are two distinct species.

Poppy seeds aside, all other parts of the plant are definitely poisonous (which is why they're deer-proof plants), so you should be cautious about growing Oriental poppies in your yard if children or pets will be present. According to the Plants for a Future database, "Although no specific mention has been found...[i.e., regarding cases of oriental poppy poisoning -- ed.], many species in this genus are toxic to mammals, though the toxicity, at least when grown in Britain, is low."

I discuss poisonous plants in greater detail at the following resource:

Poisonous Plants