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Poppy

Papaver somniferum
Also known as: Breadseed Poppy, Opium Poppy, Garden Poppy

Poppy is a flower in the Papaveraceae family. It grows best in full sun with medium moisture, and is listed for USDA zones 3-10. Plants reach maturity about 64–120 days after planting and sit about 6 inches apart.

Varieties

4 from High Mowing & True Leaf Market · sorted by days to maturity
  • Planète Rouge du Jura64–86 days

    Prefers poor soil; 3-4’ tall; Re-seeding annual

    Tall, gorgeous poppy in shades of lavender, magenta and mauve. Large, luxuriant 4-6” blooms are mostly lavender-pink with a few bright magenta heads mixed in. Each flower center is ringed by four deep eggplant markings. Blooms contrast attractively with the waxy, gray-green, scalloped foliage. A rare Swiss variety originally developed for seed and poppy seed oil production. Papaver somniferum. 118M seeds/oz.

    Growing notes: We have selected these easy-to-grow flower varieties for their individual beauty, for the beneficial insects they attract, and/or suitability for cut flower production. By offering an assortment of hues, heights, growth habits and appearances, we strive to fill your flower needs, whether you are adding color to your home garden or selling bouquets for market. Our varieties are tried-and-true standards that are sure to perform well in a wide range of growing conditions. Many of these varieties are well suited for succession plantings to ensure a continuous harvest throughout the season. Days to maturity are from seeding. M=1,000.

    View on High Mowing
  • Black Beauty66–90 days

    3-4’ tall; Tolerates poor soil; Re-seeding annual

    The poppy that looks like a gorgeous peony. With a combination of double flowers and single petal blooms with dark velvety burgundy color, Black Beauty is a stunning eye-catcher unlike any poppy you’ve ever seen. And like all poppies, it’s easy to grow, needs minimal care, and will re-seed itself. Papaver somniferum. 68M seeds/oz.

    Growing notes: We have selected these easy-to-grow flower varieties for their individual beauty, for the beneficial insects they attract, and/or suitability for cut flower production. By offering an assortment of hues, heights, growth habits and appearances, we strive to fill your flower needs, whether you are adding color to your home garden or selling bouquets for market. Our varieties are tried-and-true standards that are sure to perform well in a wide range of growing conditions. Many of these varieties are well suited for succession plantings to ensure a continuous harvest throughout the season. Days to maturity are from seeding. M=1,000.

    View on High Mowing
  • Jimi's Flag Mix (Organic)90–120 days

    Organic; Non-GMO; Container

    120 Days to maturity. Papaver somniferum. Jimis Flag Mix Poppy Seeds. Non-GMO, organic, annual. Poppies are hands-down the most dramatic flowers in the garden, and this dazzling mix blooms crimson/purple, indigo, pink/white, and pure white. The ornamental seed heads produce an impressive quantity of tasty seeds, which you can use in your baking. Try them as show-stopping mass plantings or for planting along the street. 150 mg packet contains about 400 tiny seeds.

    View on True Leaf Market
  • Power Mix90–120 days

    Non-GMO; Container; Annual

    Packet contains 500 mg, and sows ~25 square feet. This show-stopping mix of native and cultivated poppies will delight visiting bees, flies, and other pollinators. A well-established planting will reseed year after year, making this a great low-maintenance choice for your garden or wildflower meadow.

    View on True Leaf Market
Family
Papaveraceae
Category
Flower
Form
Stalk
Lifecycle
annual
Zone
3-10
Height
2–4 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 poppy plants spaced 6 inches apart.
4 plants per square foot

In a square-foot bed, space 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 poppy planting

Add 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
64–120 days
From transplant or sow to first harvest
Harvest style
Keep picking
Crops over several weeks
After harvest
Use within days
Quality eases off after peak
Frost tolerance
Hardy · to ~15°F
Lowest temperature the foliage usually survives
Succession
Re-sow every 21 days
Sow again at this interval for a continuous harvest

Growing timeline

When to plant and harvest poppyPlanting timeline for poppy, relative to last frost: start indoors from 6 weeks before last frost to around last frost; grow from around last frost to 9 weeks after last frost; harvest from 9 weeks after last frost to 17 weeks after last frost.Start indoorsGrowHarvestLast frostTransplant
Start poppy indoors ~6 weeks before transplanting around last frost; first harvest 9 weeks after last frost.
Seed to transplant
28-42 days
Outdoor planting
0 to 14 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 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