Oriental poppy is a clump-forming herbaceous perennial in the poppy family that is native to Central Asia. The genus name "Papaver" comes from the Latin word for poppy and the species name " orientale" means from the Orient. It bears large cup-shaped flowers in orange, red, and pink with black centers in June-July. The finely divided gray-green leaves give it an airy texture in the landscape. They die down after flowering and a basal rosette of leaves reappear in fall through winter until they grow vertically in the spring. They generally don't do well in heat and humidity or south of zone 7 and do need an adequate cold period in the winter in order to have good seed germination. Plant in well-drained garden soil in full sun and do not over-water to prevent root rot of the deep taproot. Place among plants that will fill in to hide the hole left once die-down occurs. Plants can be propagated by seeds or root cuttings though you may not get a true flower color if you plant from seed. Plant Oriental poppies in large groups in a meadow landscape, in clumps along a border or walkway. Interplant them with plants that have interest later in the summer as they will leave an empty space in your design after they flower. Some choices to consider are baby's breath ( Gypsophila paniculata ) or false chamomile ( Boltonia asterodies ) as they have sprawling forms and flower through the late summer and into early fall. Insects, Diseases, and Other Plant Problems: No serious problems. Root rot can occur in poorly drained soils. More information on Papaver .
Curated pairwise relationships between this plant and others in the library — who feeds
whom, who competes, who confuses the pests. Green reads as a good pairing, red as one to avoid.
No curated interactions recorded for this species yet.
Also noted by NC State
Related species the NC State Plant Toolbox flags for this plant — look-alikes to tell
apart, and plants that play a similar role in a planting. Ones we carry in the library are linked.
Dappled Sunlight (Shade through upper canopy all day) | Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day)
Soil texture
Loam (Silt); Sand
Soil pH
Acid (<6.0); Alkaline (>8.0); Neutral (6.0-8.0)
Soil drainage
Good Drainage | Occasionally Dry
Available space
12 inches-3 feet
NC region
Mountains
Mature size
Height: 2 ft. 0 in. - 3 ft. 0 in. | Width: 0 ft. 6 in. - 2 ft. 0 in.
Growth rate
Medium
Maintenance
Medium
Canopy layer
4 - Herbaceous (3-15 ft)
Form & Appearance
Habit / form
Clumping; Spreading
Texture
Fine
Foliage
Deciduous
Leaf color
Gray/Silver; Green
Leaf type
Compound (Pinnately , Bipinnately, Palmately)
Leaf arrangement
Alternate
Leaf margin
Serrate
Leaf value
Showy
Hairs present
Yes
Leaf detail
Gray-green basal thistle-like leaves are pinnately dissected and hairy.
Flower color
Black; Orange; Pink; Purple/Lavender; Red/Burgundy; White
Flower value
Good Cut; Showy
Flower form
Head
Flower shape
Cup
Flower size
3-6 inches
Flower detail
Flowers bloom in late spring or early summer. 4-6 inch showy flowers have black/purple centers surrounded by petals that can be pink, red, white, or orange.
Bloom time
Spring; Summer
Fruit detail
Ripening of seeds occur in mid-late summer (July to August).
Stem color
Green
Wildlife & Ecology
Native status
Non-native
Origin
Central Asia
Wildlife value
This plant attracts bees, butterflies, hummingbirds, and other wildlife.
Attracts
Bees; Butterflies; Hummingbirds
Play value
Wildlife Food Source
Food & Medicine
Edible parts
Seeds
Harvest time
Summer
Edibility
Even though oriental poppies have some toxicity, condiments have been made out of seed heads when they are young.
Landscape Use
Landscape location
Container; Meadow; Slope/Bank
Landscape theme
Asian Garden; Cottage Garden; Drought Tolerant Garden; Pollinator Garden
Toxicity (usually low) to animals has occurred from Papaver plants. Since toxicity has occurred with similar plants, it is suggested this plant has toxicity too. All parts are poisonous including the juice.