Can I Plant Oriental Poppies in the Spring?

Oriental poppies add carefree whimsy to the flowerbed.

The oriental poppy (Papaver orientale) has more than 100 varieties in shades of red, orange, and white, along with fringed varieties and even oriental poppies with double flowers. Luckily for fans of these intensely colored flowers, oriental poppies are frost-tolerant and grow well in cool spring weather.

Temperature

Growers developed double-petaled varieties.

Oriental poppies germinate when soil temperatures are 55 degrees Fahrenheit. They also produce flowers reliably in spring and fall weather. When hot weather sets in, they often decline, entering dormancy until lower fall temperatures return. Plant poppy seed in the spring in most zones; in USDA zone 7 and above, seed in spring or fall.

Seeding

Mixing sand with seed is a gardening trick to ensure even sowing.

Poppy seeds are small, roughly the size of a pinhead. The small seeds often clump when planting; the Colorado State University Extension website suggests mixing 3 parts sand to 1 part seed when casting over a large area. This spreads the seed equally over the planting bed and reduces thinning.

Transplanting Poppies

Poppies produce a deep taproot and dislike transplanting. Examine nursery-grown poppies carefully for signs of bound roots, yellowing leaves or a soft, potentially rotting crown. Since poppies grow easily and quickly from seed, consider seeding over transplanting.

References

• "Perennials for Every Purpose"; Larry Hodgson; 2000
• Colorado State University Cooperative Extension: 2003 -- Year of the Poppy
• Michigan State University Extension: Papaver Orientale

Resources

• Texas A&M University: Poppy