How to Grow Oriental Poppy Flowers In Your Garden

Oriental Poppy Flower is truly eye-catching perennial with their huge, silky-satin flowers in shades of red, orange, white or pink. Planted in small groups, their bold blossoms will give a colorful punch to your borders and draw the attention

Oriental poppies are herbaceous perennial flowers with large, brightly colored blooms featuring petals reminiscent of crepe paper. These plants are grown mainly for their flowers, although they also bear attractive foliage in spring. They are just one of the various types of poppies, a group of plants known for its contributions in the areas of crafts, medicine, food, and landscaping.

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Bloom Period and Seasonal Color

Spring to early summer in colors such a red, orange, salmon, white and bi colors

Easy to grow, Oriental poppies prefer full sun – at least 6 hours of direct sunlight per day. They tolerate part shade, but will bloom less profusely.

Oriental poppies prefer rich, fertile, medium moisture, well-drained soils. Average garden soils are acceptable as long as drainage is good. Mulch in winter until well established.

Oriental poppies are reliably perennial in Hardiness Zones 3 – 8.

These plants do not respond well to high summer heat and humidity, which makes them difficult to grow in the U.S. south and in hardiness zones higher than 7.

Long-lived and virtually care-free, Oriental poppies are deer and rabbit resistant.

Oriental poppies are exquisite additions to beds and borders, rock gardens or cottage gardens.

How to grow Oriental poppies

Oriental poppies are a doddle to grow. They can be grown in pots or in the ground, and are easy to care for throughout the year as long as they have sandy, free draining soil and a sunny position. Deadheading Oriental poppies will prolong flowering.

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Where to plant Oriental poppies

Poppies will thrive in a sunny spot and prefer sandy, free-draining soil. However, they can be grown in clay soils if it’s improved by digging in some horticultural grit to make it more open.

Oriental poppies are very long-lived and have deep roots. This makes them difficult to eradicate, so only plant them where you want them. Otherwise you’ll never get rid of them.

Growing Oriental poppies n the ground

Oriental poppies are undemanding, easily grown stalwarts of the flower border. They prefer an open, sunny position on reasonably drained soil.

To plant, dig a hole that is deeper than the pot and mix in some general purpose fertiliser granules with the excavated soil. Add some of the soil mix back to the hole and place the poppy in the centre of the hole, ensuring that it sits at the same level as the surrounding soil. Fill the hole with the remaining soil, firm in and water.

Growing Oriental poppies in a container

Although most gardeners grow oriental poppies in the soil, they can be grown in pots. Choose deep containers as poppies have long tap roots and fill with a mixture and a soil-less compost. If the roots are too damp they are likely to rot, so stand them on pot feet and avoid placing a saucer under the pot.

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Oriental Poppy Care Tips

Conduct a soil test and amend soil with lime, if necessary, to bring close to neutral pH.

Apply a balanced organic fertilizer to soil in spring.

Keep Oriental poppy plants evenly watered, but not soggy, during spring and bloom time. Back off on watering after plants go dormant.

Cut back foliage after the poppy flower dies, if desired, but leave the plants long enough to enjoy the unique seed podsIn fall, a small mound of new foliage should begin to emerge from the ground. Leave it in place, cut off any dead stems, and apply mulch.

Propagate by seeds or root cuttings. Most Oriental poppies are hybrids, so collecting seeds from existing plants probably won’t produce exact replicas of the parent plant. Root cuttings are made by digging up the taproot in fall and cutting off 1” to 2” sections, or separating off baby tubers that have formed. Propagate in fall, but don’t over do it – remember that Oriental poppies don’t like to be disturbed.