About

A summer-flowering annual with hairy, lobed leaves and single, bowl-shaped flowers on 60cm stems in dusky shades of silvery pink, lavender, peach, mauve or white.

About the 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

Growing conditions

SunlightFull sun
Soil typeChalk, Loam, Sand
Soil pHAcid, Alkaline, Neutral
Soil moistureWell-drained
AspectSouth-facing, North-facing, East-facing, West-facing
ExposureExposed, Sheltered
UK hardinessH7

Plant details

Plant typeAnnual Biennial
HabitColumnar upright
FoliageDeciduous
Height0.5-1 metres
Spread0.1-0.5 metres
Time to full height1-2 years
Suggested usesCottage and informal garden, Coastal, Gravel garden, Wildlife gardens, Wildflower meadow

Care notes

CultivationGrow in any well-drained fertile soil in full sun
PruningNo pruning required
PropagationPropagate by seed
Pest resistanceMay be susceptible to aphids
Disease resistanceMay be susceptible to downy mildews, powdery mildews, fungal wilts and verticillium wilt