Poppies are cheerful garden flowers that offer wildflower and cottage gardens an eye-catching pop of color and bloom where planted. Poppies understand the adage: bloom where planted! Find the dried poppy heads for sale.
Once petals fade and seeds are ready to be harvested, cut off their seedhead and watch the seeds fall from within. Store the collected seeds in paper bags to protect them from moisture damage.
Flanders Poppy
Red Bloom Annual is an easy-care annual with beautiful red blooms for meadows or gardens, drawing pollinators like honeybees. Deer-resistant varieties allow it to thrive as part of a wildflower mix or as an individual crop; sow seeds in April for bright summer color in most regions across the US!
Papaver rhoeas quickly became the symbol of war remembrance following World War One, when John McCrae’s poem ‘In Flanders Fields’ inspired millions of soldiers to wear them on Armistice Day (November 11) and Anzac Day (April 25). These flowers remain an indispensable component of wildflower mixes from Maine to California and make easy seed starters.
Oriental Poppy
Poppies have long been a mainstay in historic gardens. Easy to cultivate and self-seeding, poppies produce attractive seed pods that can be dried in dried flower arrangements.
Papaver orientale flowers add drama and vibrancy to garden borders while providing beautiful cut flower arrangements. When their buds start opening up, you can cut the stems. Then, dip them briefly in boiling water or use a propane torch before placing them into a water or heatproof container to prolong their longevity in cut arrangements.
Plant them in full sun or part shade in well-drained, light calcareous soil for best results. As they’re summer ephemerals, pair them up with larger companion plants such as Siberian iris, baby’s breath, or herbaceous peonies to hide any potential holes left after they fade in summer.
Iceland Poppy
The Iceland Poppy (Papaver Rhoeas) makes a vibrant addition to any garden that enjoys the sun. Boasting an array of colors ranging from voluptuous deep burgundy reds to paler pink-reds with silver grey stripes on its petals, its beauty attracts bees – perfect for areas requiring pollination for other crops.
Seed can be planted directly into the soil in fall or spring for self-sowing the following year, making this an easy plant to care for once established. It tolerates poor soil and thrives under cool summer temperatures while struggling with high heat.
Himalayan Poppy
Himalayan poppies belong to the Meconopsis genus and bloom during midsummer and self-seed prolifically, similar to other members. However, unlike their Papaver counterparts, Himalayan poppies do not produce opium and may become susceptible to downy mildew on their foliage.
Plants require cool summer temperatures, fertile, well-draining soil that drains well and filtered light for optimal growth. Furthermore, they must be protected from wind, which could damage their fragile stems and flowers.
Sowing fresh seeds directly onto a fertile growing medium is the easiest and most successful way to start a Himalayan poppy from seed. Surface sowing or covering them with vermiculite to protect them from drying out are options for successfully doing this.
Plume Poppy
Five-seeded plume poppy plants create an eye-catching display in any garden’s sunny or partially shaded beds and borders, whether bright or partly shady. Although initially placed into the Bocconia genus, its classification has since been altered back to the Macleaya cordata genus in honor of Alexander Macleay (1767-1848).
This prolific perennial spreads by underground rhizomes and self-seeds readily, necessitating ample space in urban gardens for it to thrive.
Plume poppies produce large panicles of fragrant blossoms in midsummer. Their attractive foliage and beautiful bloom make this species an eye-catching border specimen; gloves should be worn as its sap may stain the skin orange.
Bloodroot
Bloodroot (Sanguinaria canadensis) is an eye-catching spring woodland wildflower, great for planting in drifts. It pairs nicely with other shade-loving spring ephemerals like spring beauty and liverleaf, growing best when grown under semi-shade conditions with rich organic matter soil with proper drainage; however, slugs and botrytis may become problems in damp conditions.
Native American tribes used bloodroot as a dye for clothing, baskets, and medicine to treat fever, rheumatism, ulcers, and ringworm. Sanguinarine alkaloids are currently under study as potential anticancer and antiseptic properties; its alkaloid is used in toothpaste and mouthwash to reduce plaque buildup while it also serves as an important natural source of red, orange, and pink dyes.
Read also: Dried Poppy Heads