The Papaver genus has around 100 species found in various parts of the world. Some are perennial, annual, and some biennial. While we won't go over every single species of poppy here's a rundown of a few.
California Poppy
California Poppy is considered part of the larger Papaveraceae family, but not considered a real poppy. The plant’s scientific name is Eschscholzia californica was named by botanist/poet/explorer Adelbert von Chamisso for friend and fellow explorer Johann Friedrich von Eschscholtz who returned the favor by naming some plants after Chamisso.
This is an easy-growing flower that reseeds. These days California poppies come in various cultivars but on reseeding they tend to revert to it’s classic form.
Other Interesting or Semi-Interesting Things About This Plant
It was named California’s state flower in 1903. Another top contender was the Mariposa lily.
Californidine is a chemical compound found in the flower. While there hasn’t been a whole lot of research on it in, homeopathy it’s been used for insomnia and digestion problems.
Specifications & Growing Information
- Eschscholzia californica
- Perennial/biennial but often grown as an annual
- Full sun-part sun
- Stratification? Yes
- Height up 1ft.
- Drought tolerant
Direct sow outdoors in Fall/Winter. Plant 4-10 weeks before your area’s last frost on weed-free soil. Press seeds into dirt but don’t cover as they need light to germinate. Germination in 12-15 days at 67F. For Spring planting refrigerate seeds placed in ziplock with slightly moist sand for at least 4-10 weeks before planting. You may need to take extra steps to increase germination. See Stratification & Germination: A Lame Kind of Witchcraft
- Does not transplant well. Direct sowing is advised.
- Works well in containers.
Corn Poppy
Papaver rhoeas are also known as field poppy, American Legion Poppy, Memorial Poppy, Flanders Poppy, common poppy, etc. The name corn poppy stems from the same origins as Bachelor Buttons being called cornflowers. At one point in Europe, grain fields of all kinds were called “corn” and these flowers popped up in them.
Most of the other names have their origins in World War 1. A Canadian doctor Lieutenant Colonel John McCraeserving at the Western Front wrote the war poem In Flander’s Fields describing the red poppies on the battlefields of the Flander’s region of Belgium. The poem prompted American professor Moina Belle Michael to sell silk poppies to support disabled vets after the war.
Other Interesting or Semi-Interesting Things About This Plant
The cultivar called Shirley poppy is named after Shirley, England where it was produced by Reverend William Wilks around 1880.
Under the right conditions, poppy seeds can lay dormant for 80 years.
Corn poppies contain an alkaloid called Rhoeadine which is considered a mild sedative and also makes you very ill if you consume too much.
Specifications & Growing Information
- Papaver rhoeas
Annual that reseeds in most zones
Stratification: Yes
Full sun-part sun
Height up 2ft.
Germination in 10-20 days at 60F
Direct sow outdoors in Fall/Winter. Plant 4-10 weeks before the last frost. Germination in 10-20 days at 60F. You may need to take extra steps to increase germination. See Stratification & Germination: A Lame Kind of Witchcraft
Press seeds into soil but don’t cover them as they need light to germinate.
Tips:
✱Does not transplant well. Direct sowing is advised.
Opium Poppy
The scientific name for the breadseed or opium poppy is Papaver somniferum. Somniferum means “sleep-bringing.” Evidence of poppy growing and usage pre-dates written history with the earliest evidence coming from Sumerian artifacts from around 4000 BC.
Papaver s. is also known as breadseed or bread basket poppy because the seeds are used in food. But because this poppy is used to create narcotics the US started a long battle against the poppy by first targeting the recreational use of Opium in 1905 and banning imports in 1909. But it was still legal to grow poppy crops.
In the 1930s most poppy seed for cooking, etc. was imported from Europe and the prices shot up which prompted many farmers (mostly in California) to grow their own poppy crops. The State of California encouraged poppy farming without consulting the federal government. Although there was little to no abuse by raising this crop the US government cracked down and by 1942 the Opium Poppy Control Act was passed and it was met with a short-lived “Poppy Rebellion.”
Other Interesting or Semi-Interesting Things About This Plant
The First Opium War (1839-1842) broke out after China tried to put a stop to the import and use of the drug. While there were certainly other things involved in the outbreak of war, China had put restrictions on the import, sale, and use of opium some years before due to an addiction epidemic but the smuggling didn’t slow. In fact, it multiplied with the bulk of it coming from the British–specifically, the East India Company which controlled the poppy fields in India by 1750. In 1839 an imperial high commissioner trying to curb the trade ordered all foreigners involved in trading to surrender their opium which resulted in the British sending in warships. Although that war would end in 1842, a Second Opium War started in 1856 and lasted until 1860 with Russia and France joining Great Britain.
Due to the war on drugs, the DEA raided Thomas Jefferson’s Monticello in 1987 and destroyed the heirloom poppy seeds and plants. as well as causing hysteria among the staff who destroyed anything with a representation of a poppy in the estate’s gift shop.
The top producers of poppy seeds are Turkey and the Czech Republic.
Specifications & Growing Information
- Papaver somniferum
- Annual that reseeds in most zones
- Full sun-part sun
- Stratification: Yes. 6-10 weeks
- Height up 3ft.
- 15-30 days to germination at 55-65F
Direct sow outdoors–Poppies need a cold spell to sprout. Plant on weed-free soil 6-10 weeks before your area’s last frost or refrigerate seeds placed in a moist ziplock with slightly moist sand for at least 6-10 weeks before planting. You may need to take extra steps to increase germination. See Stratification & Germination: A Lame Kind of Witchcraft
- Poppies do not transplant well. Direct sowing is advised.
- Let seed pods dry on flower stalks to harvest seeds for later use.
Spanish Poppy
Papaver rupifragum is also commonly called Spanish and Moroccan where their origins are. No lies, it can take a while for these seeds to germinate and almost seem to require ignoring and forgetting you sowed them. Is it worth it? Yeah. You can’t beat the hue of orange.
These poppies tend to bloom early and as the plant matures and spreads into a clump you can count on blooms through summer.
Spanish or Moroccan poppy has double petals and green-grey fuzzy foliage. While it’s not impossible to start indoors and transplant, like most poppies they don’t enjoy their roots being messed with so outdoor sowing is advised.
Other Interesting or Semi-Interesting Things About This Plant
One of the largest collections of Spanish Poppy is located at the Ciotka Perchała’s garden in Srebrna Gora, Poland.
Papaver Atlanticum or Atlas Poppy is a natural variety of rupifragum.
Specifications & Growing Information
- Papaver rupifragum
- Perennial in zones 6-9. Some consider this flower a biennial because it normally doesn’t bloom the first year.
- Prefers full sun but tolerates some shade
- Stratification: Yes.
- Germination: 15-30 days at 60 F
- Height: 12 in.
- Needs light to germinate
- Bloom time: Spring/Summer
- Drought tolerant once established
Direct sow outdoors in Fall/Winter/Early Spring. Plant on weed-free soil 4-10 weeks before your area’s last frost on weed-free soil. Press seeds into dirt but don’t cover as they need light to germinate.. For Spring planting refrigerate seeds placed in ziplock with slightly moist sand for at least 4-10 weeks before planting. You may need to take extra steps to increase germination. See Stratification & Germination: A Lame Kind of Warlockry
- Self-seeding in many regions