Common name: Poppy
Family: Papaveraceae, Poppy
Height x width: 18-48" x 12-24" depending on species
Growth rate: moderate to fast
Foliage: often hairy, lobed or dissected, variable with species
Flowers: nodding buds solitary on long stalks, variable with species; hard, oval and decorative seed capsule; summer bloom in north, spring in south
Hardiness: zones 2 or 3 to 6 or 7
Soil: well-drained
Light: sun
Pests and Problems: root rots from poor drainage, bacterial blight, downy mildew, leaf spots, virus, aphids, plant bugs, leafhoppers, northern root-knot nematode
Landscape habit, uses: scattered or allowed to self-sow in borders, naturalized areas, accent for brighter colors; cut and dried seed pods; plant among other "filler" plants to cover as they die back in late season
Other interest: genus is Latin name for poppy; common name from Anglo-Saxon popig for sleep, refering to use of seeds of some species to make a sleep-inducing drink
Other culture: performs best in cool north, tends to die out after bloom and in summer heat, self-sows prolifically
Propagation: seed (95,000 seeds per ounce), division after flowering when dormant or root cuttings in spring or after flowering
Species:
In addition to the following perennial species, annual species cold hardy to zone 8 include commutatum and rhoeas--the famous Shirley, Flanders, Field or Corn Poppy (bright red with black blotch); somniferum--opium poppy in white, red or lavender with seeds used in cooking, famous drug from sap of green seed capsules, illegal in some states.
•alpinum (al-pii' num)--Alpine Poppy, zones 4-6, 8-10" tall, several colors in summer, native to European Alps, good for rock gardens
•atlanticum (at-lan' ti-cum)--Moroccan Poppy, zones 4-6, 12-18", peach to pale pink flowers over gray-green foliage, late spring to early summer bloom, native to Morocco
•nudicaule (new-di-cae' lee)--Iceland Poppy or Arctic Poppy, zones 2-7, 12-18" tall, several colors in spring usually in seed mixtures, native to subarctic regions; annual in the south; 4-6" long gray-green pinnately-lobed leaves; flowers to 6" wide and suitable for cutting
•orientale (or-ee-en-tal' ee)--Oriental Poppy, zones 2-7, 18-36"
tall, scarlet flowers with black blotches at petal bases in early summer
for species (other colors for hybrids), native to southwest Asia; species
of most hybrids, many with other species; definately prefer cooler northern
climates
Cultivars:
The following are the most common in commerce of the many selections
being introduced.
| Cultivar | species | flowers | other |
| 'Allegro' | orientale | red | dwarf |
| 'Beauty of Livermere' | orientale | red | fine |
| 'Betty Ann' | orientale | pink, crinkled margins | |
| 'Big Jim' | orientale | deep red, crinkled margins | 3' tall |
| 'Bonfire' | orientale | fire red | |
| 'Brilliant' | orientale | fire red | |
| 'Carnival' | orientale | red, ivory bicolor | 2' tall |
| 'Carousel' | orientale | white, orange margins | |
| 'Cedar Hill' | orientale | light rose | 3' tall |
| 'Champagne Bubbles' | nudicaule | mix | hybrid, 3" flowers |
| 'China Boy' | orientale | orange, creamy white center | ruffled |
| 'Crimson Pompon' | orientale | deep red, double | |
| 'Curlilocks' | orientale | red-orange, black basal blotches | deeply serrated |
| 'Degas' | orientale | salmon, dark spots, late | 2' tall |
| 'Derwisch' | orientale | salmon red,basal spots, early | 2' tall, compact |
| 'Doubloon' | orientale | orange, double, early | |
| 'Fatima' | orientale | white, pink margins | compact habit |
| Garden Gnome hybrids | nudicaule | 5 colors, mix | compact |
| 'Glowing Embers' | orientale | scarlet, ruffled | 2' tall |
| 'Glowing Rose' | orientale | watermelon pink | |
| 'Harvest Moon' | orientale | orange, small, no spots | |
| 'Helen Elizabeth' | orientale | salmon pink | classic |
| 'Julianna' | orientale | rich pink, no blotches | |
| 'Leuchtfeuer' | orientale | salmon red | 2' tall |
| 'Lighthouse' | orientale | light pink, wide dark center | attractive |
| 'Maiden's Blush' | orientale | white, pink edge, ruffled | |
| 'May Curtis' | orientale | rose red | |
| 'Mrs. Perry' | orientale | salmon pink, black blotches | 3' tall |
| 'Perry's White' | orientale | white, black eye | |
| 'Patty's Plum' | orientale | plum | |
| 'Picotee' | orientale | white, salmon edges, early | |
| 'Pinnacle' | orientale | white and red subtle bicolor | |
| 'Pizzacato' | orientale | white, pink or red, with black eye | compact, 2' tall |
| 'Prince of Orange' | orientale | orange | |
| 'Princess Victoria Louise' | orientale | light pink, black spots | |
| 'Queen Alexander' | orientale | salmon pink, black center | common |
| 'Raspberry Queen' | orientale | dark rose pink, large | vigorous |
| 'Salmon Glow' | orientale | salmon orange, double | |
| 'Show Girl' | orientale | pink, white centers, ruffled | |
| 'Snow Queen' | orientale | white, large, black basal spots | |
| 'Surprise' | orientale | red, black spots, floriferous | 3-4' tall |
| 'Turkenlouis':'Turkish Delight' | |||
| 'Turkish Delight' | orientale | scarlet, dark centers | popular |
| 'Warlord' | orientale | deep red, large | |
| 'Watermelon' | orientale | watermelon pink | |
| Wonderland hybrids | nudicaule | several | compact |
©Authored by Dr. Leonard Perry, Professor, University of Vermont as part of PSS123 course.
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