Papaver Species, Corn Poppy, Flanders Field Poppy, Shirley Poppy

On Nov 21, 2016, coriaceous from ROSLINDALE, MA wrote:

A once common weed of wheat fields in Europe, sometimes cultivated as a hardy annual. The species has scarlet red flowers with a black base.

Pre-started plants do not grow as well as plants direct sown in the garden. Plants are tap-rooted and even small seedlings are stunted by transplanting.

In Z6a New England, seeds should be sown in March. Plants need cool weather, especially cool nights, to grow well. Seedlings don't mind light frosts. Other essentials are full sun and light soil.

Seeds should be thinly sown, and should not be covered, as they need light to germinate. 1/2 teaspoon seeds mixed well with 1 cup builders sand (pass through a sieve or strainer several times to mix thoroughly, and again to sow) will cover about 12 square feet of ... read moreprepared seedbed. (Prepare the seedbed by raking till flat and smooth.) Tamp the soil with a brick or piece of lumber after sowing, before watering in. Young seedlings need regular watering till they're 3 inches tall. Thin to 4-5" spacing, and weed regularly.

Plants tend to flop here without support.

As with other poppies, cut flowers when buds begin to show color and singe cut ends with a flame or boiling water.

Shirley poppies are cultivar strains descended from those originally selected by the Reverend William Wilks, vicar of Shirley, beginning in 1880. They should not be lumped with the species. They vary a great deal, depending upon your seed source and how they have been maintained, but the original strain consisted of picotees and pastels in a range of colors including white, pinks, opalescent silver, bluish grey, dusty rose, lilac, mauves, and salmon, often with contrasting edges, and lacking the black base of the species. Today they may also include semi-double and double forms. 'Mother of Pearl' (AKA 'Sir Cedric Morris'), a refinement on the original Shirley poppies, is available today.

If you want self-sowing, know that these strains will all quickly revert to the scarlet species unless the occasional scarlet-flowering plants are ruthlessly rogued.

Bloom lasts only 2-3 weeks here. I don't find them to bloom long enough to pull their weight in a small garden, especially when flowering is over and the plants are turning brown. The bloom season may last over two months in climates with cooler summers like Great Britain and the Pacific Northwest.

Papaver commutatum is a separate species and not a synonym.

On Jul 2, 2009, anelson77 from Seattle, WA wrote:

These grow easily from seeds broadcast in February or March in the Pacific Northwest. They like full sun, fertile soil but make do with poor dry soil. They bloom for a fairly long period, in June and July. They come in a variety of colors and flower forms but the simple red ones can't be beat. They look great with delphiniums, and other poppy varieties.

On May 4, 2005, nevadagdn from Sparks, NV (Zone 7a) wrote:

I'm still trying to get these to grow from seed. Maybe it's my casual broadcast method in early January... that's the problem?

On Aug 10, 2004, WalterT from San Diego, CA (Zone 10a) wrote:

The poppies of Flanders fields. I first saw them in northern France in the middle of World War 2, summer of 1944. The sight of vast fields of blood-red poppies brought back memories of my early childhood. World War 1 was still in the recent past and the songs and poetry from that war were still heard frequently on the radio. Before the war ended I visited the huge American WW 1 cemetary near Chateau Thierry and as I gazed out over the thousands of white crosses and stars of David I said, half out loud,"Here we are again, boys." Now there are blood-red poppies growing all over the world, literally and figuratively.... It is remarkable what thoughts the sight of a single plant, a single flower, can generate in one's mind. WTH.

On Apr 24, 2004, frogsrus from San Diego, CA (Zone 10a) wrote:

Set out seeds in the fall for March bloomers here in southern CA. Does best in full sun. Will flop over and reach for light if in partial shade. Beautiful bloomer for after the bulbs have gone. Reseeds.

On Nov 10, 2002, Bug_Girl from San Francisco, CA wrote:

I have had limited success with these plants. I never see them in cell packs so one has to buy seeds. Each brand of seeds has different qualities, some of the ones that reseeded very more successful then the ones bought in packages. Some of them had a powder mildew problem, and some of them flopped over, due to excess vegative growth, however, some of them were just lovely.

On May 2, 2002, Lilith from Durham,
United Kingdom (Zone 8a) wrote:

A native species in the UK, poppies paint a new road verge or embankment a brilliant hue in their first year, but rapidly decline and after a few years exist only as seeds in the soil, waiting until the land is turned again. Once a common sight in cornfields, more effective seed cleaning and use of selective herbicides have made poppies much rarer.