Oriental Poppy

Oriental poppy (Papaver orientale) is a clump-forming herbaceous perennial native to Central Asia. It bears large cup-shaped flowers, usually orange, red or pink with dark centers, in late spring or early summer, and Illinois lists the bloom season as May through June. Each flower has small purple-black blotches at the base of its petals. The finely divided gray-green leaves give the plant an airy look. Mature plants usually reach 2 to 3 feet (61 to 91 cm) tall.

Sowing dates, sowing depth and germination time aren’t covered for this plant yet, so none are given here. Seed needs an adequate cold period in winter to germinate well, and plants grown from seed may not keep the flower color of the parent plant.

Plant in full sun and in well-drained garden soil. Transplanting is difficult because of the fleshy taproot. Plant in large groups in a meadow or in clumps along a border.

Gardeners can also propagate by division in spring or by root cuttings taken in late autumn or early winter.

Avoid overwatering, which can cause root rot of the deep taproot. The soil needs to drain very well, especially over winter.

After flowering, the plant dies back to the ground and goes dormant, and new basal leaves return in fall and stay through winter. Lightly mulch new plantings for the first winter. Cut spent flowering stems back to the ground and cut back the foliage as it fades. Place it among plants that will fill in the gap left when the foliage dies down.

No serious insect or disease problems are noted for this plant. Root rot can occur in poorly drained soil. Aphids may attack the plant, and it may be susceptible to downy mildews, powdery mildews, fungal wilts and Verticillium wilt.

For people, this plant is rated low severity, and all parts are listed as poisonous, including the juice. Don’t eat any part of this plant. Related poppies have caused low-level toxicity in animals, so this plant may also be toxic to animals. No cat or dog toxicity rating is available for this plant.