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Iceland Poppy

Papaver nudicaule
Also known as: Icelandic Poppy, Arctic Poppy

Iceland Poppy is a flower in the Papaveraceae family. It grows best in full sun with medium moisture, and is listed for USDA zones 2-7. Plants reach maturity about 91–98 days after planting and sit about 6 inches apart.

Varieties

2 from True Leaf Market · sorted by days to maturity
  • Champagne Bubbles Mix91–98 days

    Non-GMO; Container; Perennial

    91-98 Days to maturity. Papaver nudicaule. Champagne Bubbles Iceland Poppy Seeds. Non-GMO, F1 Hybrid, perennial. Champagne Bubbles Mix poppy seeds grow cold-hardy perennials that thrive in many cool, temperate gardens. Champagne Bubbles Mix is easy to grow from seed and will deliver loads of Iceland poppies to your home or garden over and extended season. Suitable for fields, garden beds, and pots.

    View on True Leaf Market
  • Iceland Finest Mix91–98 days

    Container; Non-GMO; Perennial

    91-98 Days to maturity. Papaver nudicaule. Iceland Finest Mix Iceland Poppy Seeds. Non-GMO, organic, Perennial. Iceland poppy seeds grow year-round brilliance in your home or garden when others can not. Often planted as annuals, Mixed Colors Iceland poppy seeds are perennials that grow to be hardy, cold-tolerant, and thrive in a wide range of cool and temperate North American gardens. Mixed Colors Iceland poppy seeds promise neat, 12-16 inch tall mounds bursting with spectacular 2-4 inch delicate papier-mache blooms in a mix of red, peach, white, pink, canary, and fuchsia. Mixed Colors Iceland poppy seeds are an ideal plant indoors for adding accents and aromas to any room yet hardy enough to trim a flower bed or walkway. About 18,000 seeds per ounce.

    View on True Leaf Market
Family
Papaveraceae
Category
Flower
Form
Bush
Lifecycle
perennial
Zone
2-7
Height
0.8333333333333333–1.3333333333333333 ft
Spread
0.5–1 ft
Sun
Full sun

Plant spacing

4 plants per square footSquare-foot planting diagram: a 1-foot square divided into a 2-by-2 grid holding 4 iceland poppy plants spaced 6 inches apart.
4 plants per square foot

In a square-foot bed, space iceland poppy about 6 in apart — that fits 4 plants in each 1-foot square (2×2). Wider rows or containers space the same.

Water
Medium

Plan your iceland poppy planting

Add iceland poppy to a free GardenDraft plan and get sow, transplant, and harvest dates computed for your ZIP code — with a drag-and-drop bed layout and reminders when it’s time to plant.

Start your free plan →

At a glance

Days to harvest
91–98 days
From transplant or sow to first harvest
Harvest style
Harvest once
One main harvest
After harvest
Use within days
Quality eases off after peak
Frost tolerance
Hardy · to ~20°F
Lowest temperature the foliage usually survives
Germination
~60%
Typical minimum germination rate

Growing timeline

When to plant and harvest iceland poppyPlanting timeline for iceland poppy, relative to last frost: start indoors from 10 weeks before last frost to 2 weeks before last frost; grow from 2 weeks before last frost to 11 weeks after last frost; harvest from 11 weeks after last frost to 12 weeks after last frost.Start indoorsGrowLast frostTransplant
Start iceland poppy indoors ~8 weeks before transplanting 2 weeks before last frost; first harvest 11 weeks after last frost.
Seed to transplant
42-56 days
Outdoor planting
-14 to 0 days vs frost
Propagation
Seed
Schedule anchor
Last Frost

Care & troubleshooting— extension-sourced, with citations

When to feed, prune & water

Attract beneficial insects and protect pollinators

Protection
  • Routine carePlant insectary flowers and tolerate light pestsstrong evidence — extension confidence

    Grow a diversity of flowering plants (including small-flowered umbels and asters) to feed predators and parasitoids, and tolerate low pest numbers so natural enemies have prey to stick around.

    Source: UC IPM; UMN Extension

  • Routine careNever spray open bloomsstrong evidence — extension confidence

    Avoid insecticides on flowering plants and apply any needed sprays in the evening when pollinators aren't active, and favor selective products over broad-spectrum ones to spare bees and beneficials.

    Source: UC IPM

Something looks wrong?

Describe what you see on your iceland poppyand we'll rank the likely causes — most likely first, least-invasive fix first.

Aphids

Pestlow

Symptoms: clusters of tiny soft-bodied insects on new growth and undersides; sticky honeydew or sooty mold; curled distorted new leaves; ants tending them

  • CulturalBlast off with water· every 3 days · ~2 wksstrong evidence — extension confidence

    Knock colonies off with a strong jet of water in the morning; repeat every few days. Light infestations rarely need more.

    Source: UC IPM: Aphids

  • OrganicInsecticidal soap - label use only· every 1 wk · ~3 wksmoderate evidence — extension confidence

    For persistent colonies apply insecticidal soap to undersides per label. Avoid open flowers.

    Always follow the product label — it is the law.

    Source: UC IPM