Poppy

Family:Papaver

Intro/Brief Description

Poppies in the genus Papaver have a long and storied history. We know they were cultivated as early as 5000 BC in ancient Mesopotamia and they’ve been found in Egyptian tombs. Ancient Greeks viewed wild poppies as a sign of agricultural fertility. Because the seeds can lie dormant for years and grow best when the soil is disturbed or cultivated, Greeks who found them growing wild in their corn fields saw them as an omen of a bountiful corn harvest.

At the beginning of the age of modern warfare, the ease with which poppies grew in disturbed soil made them an omen of another sort. In France in World War I, poppies sprouted abundantly in heavily bombed battlefields and among the simple white crosses in soldiers’ cemeteries. The poem In Flanders Fields was written by a Canadian medic who was moved by the sight of the poppies in Flanders:

In Flanders fields the poppies blow
Between the crosses row on row

In many countries, Armistice Day or Veterans Day (November 11) is still commemorated by passing out hand-made poppies or wearing them in the lapel.

Poppies are also famous—perhaps infamous—as the source of opium, which is harvested from the milky resin found in the seed pods of opium poppies. Legend has it that the Greek word papaver is derived from the word for baby food—to which opium was added because it induced sleep. Many eminent poets, writers, and artists, including Samuel Taylor Coleridge, Jean Cocteau, John Keats, and Edgar Allen Poe were known to be opium users. And it’s not a coincidence that in the film The Wizard of Oz, Dorothy fell asleep in a poppy field!

In the United States, it’s against the law to possess any part of an opium poppy other than the seed, even though its sap is used to make legal drugs such as morphine and codeine. Poppy seeds, which are valuable in cooking, baking, and making poppy seed oil, do not have any discernible narcotic qualities.

There are more than 120 species in the Papaver genus. The flowers of the P. nudicaule, or Iceland poppy, are found in white, blue, orange, yellow, and shades of pink. P. orientale (Oriental poppy) was originally scarlet with blackish-purple spotches in the center, but varieties have been developed in pink, white, plum, lilac, and orange. P. somniferum, (opium poppy) also vary in color, including pinks and lilacs. The flowers of P. rhoeas, the famous corn or Flanders poppy, are a vivid red. Poppy flowers may be single, double or semi-double, and the blossoms are medium to large-sized. The petals have a thin, papery beauty.

It should also be noted that besides Papaver, there are three other genera in the poppy family (Papaveraceae). Poppies also make up the Meconopsis, Eschscholzia, and Romneya genera. Species of these genera include M. betonicifolia, or Himalyan poppy; E. californica, or California poppy, which is the state flower of California; and R. coulteri, known as Matilija poppy.

Features

Poppies are famously touted as being easy enough for a child to grow. They’re easy to care for and relatively maintenance-free. They’re largely deer resistant, because many parts of them are poisonous if eaten (particularly the seed head). But their colorful blossoms will attract birds, bees, and butterflies.

Poppies are beautiful as cut flowers as long as the cutting is done properly to minimize petal drop. The flower should be cut early in the morning when the buds are just about to open and allowed to open up in the water. The flowers will last longer if the outer green calyx is removed.

Hardiness

Most poppies grow in temperate and subtropical climates. But whatever your growing zone, there’s likely a poppy species that’s hardy in your area. For example, P. nudicaule is considered suitable for alpine environments, while P. rhoeas and P. orientale are grown in warmer zones.

Growth Habit

Individual poppy plants can be as small as 6” tall but some species can grow to heights of between 3’ and 4’. Some species have blossoms as wide as 8” in diameter. Taller plants may need to be staked, particularly if the flowers are large.

Poppies are carefree growers and look the best in wildflower-type plantings. Traditionally they’re planted in mass plantings to reproduce the effect of a wildflower field. Many gardeners prefer not to mix poppies with other flowering plants because the vibrancy of their blossoms tends to “hog” the spotlight. Unlike many perennials, poppies will die down in the heat of summer, after they’ve bloomed. Some gardeners may consider the spent poppy plants an eyesore, while others might be bothered by a bare space in the garden. If you fall into either of these categories, cut back the plants when they start looking messy and replace them with annuals that will add color for the rest of the season.

Bloom Time

Most poppy species are at their flowering peak in late spring and early summer. P. rhoes extends its scarlet blooms into mid-summer. Poppies only bloom once and will die back after blooming.

Propagation

Some species can be bought as bareroots or plants in garden catalogs, but poppies are most often grown from seed. They should be sown directly into the garden just after danger of frost has passed. Prepare the bed by loosening the soil with a garden fork and turn in a thin layer of compost if you have some. Sprinkle the seeds lightly onto the surface of a prepared bed; you don’t need to cover the seeds with soil. Thin seedlings when they’re between 1/2” - 1” tall; the remaining seedlings should be between 4” – 18” apart, depending on the height and blossom size of the species you’re planting.

The easiest way to propagate poppies is to harvest the seed pods when the poppies go dormant, split them open, and gather the seeds yourself for use the following year. However, their roots can be divided, and this is best done in early spring after the danger of frost has passed.

Transplanting

Poppies don’t respond well to transplanting, so it’s best to be certain about the spot that you plant them in.

Soil

Most poppies prefer neutral to slightly acidic soil (6.1 – 7.5 pH). Poppies are hardy enough to be grown in the poorest of soils.

Irrigation

Poppies are considered an “average water” perennial. They can tolerate drought but prefer moist (not soaked) soil. After you’ve thinned the seedlings, you may consider mulching the bed to help retain water. In the heat of summer when the plants are dormant, there’s no need to water them unless you’re experiencing a period of drought.

Sunlight

Poppies do best in full sun, although a few varieties can handle light shade.

Care

In general, poppies are hardy and don’t need to be fussed over. They rarely need fertilization. In the early winter after the first frost, apply a protective layer of mulch over the bed; remove it as the weather warms in spring.

Pests

Poppies are resistant to most animal pests, but can be infested by certain types of aphids.

Disease

Poppies occasionally fall victim to a bacterial blight known as Xanthomonas papavericola that’s indicated by black spots on leaves, flowers, stems, and seed pods. It can be avoided by only watering the plant’s roots, but not its leaves and flowers. Control of this infection is primarily preventative, and immediate removal and destruction of diseased plants is advised to prevent further spreading.

References

Aggrawal, Anil. “The Story of Opium.” Narcotic Drugs. New Delhi, India: National Book Trust, 1995. http://opioids.com/narcotic-drugs/chapter-2.html.

BackyardGardener.com. “Perennial Gardening Database-Oriental Poppy.” http://www.backyardgardener.com/

BBC Gardening. “Plants Database-Poppy.” http://www.bbc.co.uk/gardening/.

DavesGarden.com. "Plants Database-Genus: Papaver.” http://davesgarden.com.

Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia "Poppy,” last modified January 30, 2006. http://en.wikipedia.org.

Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia "Papaver,” last modified February 4, 2006. http://en.wikipedia.org.

Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia "Papaveraceae,” last modified February 7, 2006. http://en.wikipedia.org.