Papaver orientale

Oriental poppy
File:Oriental poppy.jpg
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
(unranked):	Angiosperms
(unranked):	Eudicots
Order:	Ranunculales
Family:	Papaveraceae
Genus:	Papaver
Species:	P. orientale
Binomial name
Papaver orientale (L. )

File:Türkenlouis.jpg

Türkenlouis red, highly fringed

File:Olympia1b.UME.jpg

Olympia orange

File:PapaverPapillion1a.UME.jpg

Papillon pink

File:Oriental Poppy Salmon.JPG

Cedric Morris salmon pink

File:Papaver Pattys Plum.jpg

Pattys Plum plum

Papaver orientale (Oriental poppy) is a perennial flowering plant native to the Caucasus, northeastern Turkey, and northern Iran.

Oriental poppies throw up a mound of finely cut, hairy foliage in spring. After flowering the foliage dies away entirely, a property that allows their survival in the summer drought of Central Asia. Late-developing plants can be placed nearby to fill the developing gap. Fresh leaves appear with autumn rains.

Cultivation

Papaver orientale has a hardiness zone of 3-8 average. It usually thrives in light calcareous soil and in full sun or part shade. Seeds are sown after the potential of frost has passed, the average temperature is approximately 21 °C and when soil has thoroughly warmed. The seeds are sown at a depth of about one centimeter, or less as light may stimulate germination. Oriental Poppies do not handle transplanting or over-watering well. Germination period is 10–20 days. Mulch can be used to protect the plant over the winter and cutting off the stem will produce a second flower.

Cultivars

Aside from its natural brilliant orange-scarlet, since the later 19th century selective breeding for gardens has created a range of colors from clean white with eggplant-black blotches (Barr's White is the standard against which other whites are measured), through clear true pinks and salmon pinks to deep maroons and plum. In addition petals may be creased or fringed, such as Türkenlouis.

Cultivars (those marked agm have gained the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit):-

Name Colour Aglaja agm salmon pink Barr's White white Beauty of Livermere red Black and White agm white/black Brilliant red Carnival white/orange/red Carousel white/orange picotee Cedric Morris agm pale pink/black Effendi agm pale orange Fatima white/pink picotee GI Joe red (double) Helen Elizabeth pink Indian Chief mahogany red John III agm orange-red Karine agm pale pink / red

Name Colour Khedive agm pale salmon / black Leuchtfeuer agm orange Lighthouse agm pale pink/maroon Maiden's Blush white Olympia orange Papillon pink Patty's Plum pink Perry's White white Picotee white/orange picotee Pinnacle white/red Royal Wedding white Türkenlouis red Watermelon pink

Related species

Oriental poppies are closely related to the great scarlet poppy Papaver bracteatum, which can be grown for the commercial extraction of thebaine, a main source for the legal synthesis of opiates. This species, however, does not produce any narcotic alkaloids such as morphine or codeine. Many garden Oriental poppies are actually hybrids between P. bracteatum and P. pseudo-orientale.

Sources

• Garden Guides: Oriental Poppy varieties