Poppies - Easy color for early summer

Most of the flowers that are attractive to pollinators that I've written about are easy to find. Today, though, I wanted to start including some native wildflowers. These flowers are becoming more common in the commercial trade.

Finding native wildflowers is the most fun part of my professional job. Many species are being developed for gardeners and I would encourage all readers to visit local nurseries and ask about their natives. Not every plant will survive in the varying soils we have. Some prefer soils that haven’t been overly amended with compost or fertilized. Pay attention to what the tag and nursery person says about where to plant.

The first plant I want to suggest to attract pollinators is the poppy (Papaver sp.). There are many possibilities, both annuals which have to be reseeded every spring, or perennials, like the deep orange Oriental poppy, which come up faithfully every year.

There is also the bright orange California poppy which is a different species. I will write about that in another post.

Both types bloom in early summer. In my garden, they always have bees working them. The bees get deep in the flower and get covered with pollen. This pollen fertilizes the next blossom they visit, so poppies produce A LOT of seed. If you don’t dead head the seed pods, you will find lots of poppies in your garden the next spring.

Annual poppies that reseeded in my young garden. They made the garden look more established than it really was. This poppy is commonly available in seed packets of mixed colors and goes by the name of Shirley poppy, corn poppy or poppy of Flanders. I love this flower more than the bees do.

They produce numerous flowers per plant, so even the annuals will bloom for several weeks.

Shirley poppies

Shirley poppy seed in a mix of colors can be found in every seed packet display in spring. If the plants are allowed to reseed, red becomes the dominant color.

The deep orange perennial is usually available in packets. It will produce a ‘hairy’ little rosette of leaves in its first year and will bloom for you in year two. 

You can see the flowers and buds in the photo of the Shirley poppies. The ‘hairy’ ovals are the new buds. The stems straighten up as the bud gets closer to blooming

Poppy seeds are really small, so make sure you don’t sow them too close together. You can spread the seed in fall before it snows or as early as March. Put the seed on bare ground and just sweep your hand across the area you planted. Poppies do better if they are not buried, but you do want them to be in contact with the soil.

The seedling is also very tiny, like two thin green line, so you have to keep a close eye out for them.

The perennials are not always successful as transplants, so take extra care with the root ball if you buy a potted perennial, or if you dig them up and move them around your garden.

This is another annual, quite different in appearance than the red poppy. I got the seed from a friend over 20 years ago and collect it again every year.

Poppies adapt well to selective breeding, so there are many colors and varieties available. Check out your favorite seed catalogue and see what is offered.

Perennial Oriental poppies. Through breeding selection, many colors beyond the traditional orange are available. You can see both the ‘hairy’ oval bud and the bare immature seed pod in the upper right.

You should also look for poppies around your neighborhood. If you find one you like, ask if you can have some seed when it ripens. Poppies are so prolific and easy to grow from seed, every garden should have some.