13 July 2009
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Oriental poppy, Papaver orientale

Clumps of big, bold, oriental poppies get summer off to a cracking start. As the buds open, they reveal crumpled, translucent petals that unfurl into striking cupped flowers with black centres.

Recommended varieties

Oriental poppies are thought to be a combination of two main species, P. orientale, introduced into Britain in 1714, and P. bracteatum. Both are from Turkey.

Scarlet was the only available colour until the 1930s and 1940s, when Amos Perry from Hertfordshire began breeding new varieties. His work led to a vast increase in the range of shapes and shades to include bright pinks, pale pinks, salmon pinks, pure whites and blush whites.

Further developments in the 1980s saw lilac and blue introduced from Germany, and purple from Britain.

P. orientale 'Allegro': has large scarlet flowers and often blooms twice a season. Low-growing at 45cm (18in).
P. orientale 'Cedric Morris': popular for its grey-pink flowers, which are gently frilled around the edges and marked inside with deep purple spots. Has been given the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit (AGM).
P. orientale 'Curlilocks': widely available red with fringed petals.
P. orientale 'Kleine Tanzerin': relatively recent introduction, producing an abundance of pale pink, shallow-cupped flowers that are delicately balanced on short stems. Reaching a height of 60cm (24in), it's ideal at the front of a border.
P. orientale 'Mrs Perry': classic form with nicely cupped, clear pink flowers with small black spots inside each petal.
P. orientale 'Patty's Plum': this colour breakthrough was discovered by chance, growing on a compost heap. Bears very large flowers of rich grey-plum and strongly resembles a silk flower.
P. orientale 'Perry's White': classic white producing an enormous number of good-sized, pure white flowers highlighted in the centre with a wash of dark purple.
P. orientale 'Picotee': highly decorative white flowers, topped with a vivid orange hoop that can vary considerably in width.
P. orientale 'Turkish Delight': often considered the best pink oriental poppy. Each flower is a smooth, pale shade without any other markings. Especially reliable during wet summers.

Growing tips

Site and soil preferences

Oriental poppies are easy to grow and almost thrive on neglect. They like any well-drained soil in a sunny position, but tolerate some variance.

Planting associations

As oriental poppies are so spectacular, place them with care. They can be used to keep the eye moving around the garden, pulling it one way then another.

Also use them to make strong contrasts, for example against yellow-stemmed bamboos or white backgrounds. (The following grow to about 90cm (3ft), unless otherwise stated.)

Red poppies look stunning with a backdrop of vivid blues such as Aquilegia alpina or Anchusa azurea 'Loddon Royalist'.
Red or orange varieties blend well with the soft foliage of bronze fennel.
Orange can be a difficult colour to place, but try it with the russet tints of Euphorbia griffithii 'Dixter' or the yellow flowers of late tulips.
Pink and white poppies are the easiest to mix in a border. For a soft combination, try them with silver-grey leafed plants, such as Stachys byzantina or feathery Artemisia 'Powis Castle' and soft-foliaged Nepeta 'Six Hills Giant'. They also combine prettily with irises, particularly the pale coloured varieties, such as the pale blue Iris 'Jane Phillips'.

To get a succession of colour, interplant pastel-coloured poppies with delphiniums, phloxes or asters. They provide a simple, useful green background during early summer, and edge into the space left by the poppies' resting foliage to flower later.

Aftercare

Once the flowers have finished, the dead stem with distinctive seed pod turns papery brown. This can be cut back or left as winter decoration and food for birds.