About
A perennial poppy, to 70cm high, with bristly stems and a rosette of divided and toothed green leaves covered with silvery hairs. In early to mid summer, produces up to 10 upright, hairy buds, that open to large, orange-red flowers, often with black blotches at the base of the petals.
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, Clay, Loam, Sand
Soil pHAcid, Alkaline, Neutral
Soil moistureMoist but well-drained
AspectSouth-facing, West-facing
ExposureExposed, Sheltered
UK hardinessH6
Plant details
Plant typeHerbaceous Perennial
HabitBushy
FoliageDeciduous
Height0.5-1 metres
Spread0.1-0.5 metres
Time to full height1-2 years
Suggested usesCottage and informal garden
Care notes
CultivationWill thrive in most soils, as long as there is good drainage, but a moderately fertile, humus-rich moist soil that is not too acidic is ideal. Position in full sun
PruningNo pruning required
PropagationPropagate by seed, by division in spring, or by root cuttings in late autumn and early winter
Pest resistanceMay be susceptible to aphids
Disease resistanceMay be susceptible to downy mildews, powdery mildews, fungal wilts and verticillium wilt