Papaver orientale
Turkish poppy
At a glance
- Light
- Full sun
- Lifespan
- Perennial
- Flowering
- May–Jun
- Hardiness
- Hardy
Photo: CC BY-SA 3.0 · Source
This description was machine-translated.
Description
The Turkish poppy (Papaver orientale) is a long‑lived perennial from the Caucasus and northeastern Turkey. It blooms in May and June with strikingly large, silky flowers in bright red, orange, or white. The plant reaches 60 to 80 cm tall and, after flowering, the foliage dies back to the ground, so it is advisable to plant companion species such as Stork’s-bill or lady’s mantle to fill the gap. In a perennial bed it can be grown as a solitary plant or in small groups, attracting bees and other pollinators. Popular cultivars include ‘Beauty of Livermere’ (dark red) and ‘Perry’s White’ (creme‑white with a dark‑marked center).
Care instructions
Plant the Turkish poppy in a sunny, warm spot with well‑drained, not overly moist soil, waterlogging is intolerable. Once established it is very tolerant and requires little care; avoid transplanting as it is sensitive to root disturbance. Deadhead spent flower stems to suppress seed set; the summer foliage can be left to die back naturally or gently removed when it detaches on its own. The plant is fully winter hardy and reliably regrows each spring.
Garden year
FloweringMay–Jun
Soil & site
For your garden
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