Iceland poppies, with their delicate, tissue-paper petals and vibrant colors, are one of the most beautiful flowers you can grow in your garden. While they may seem intimidating to cultivate, Iceland poppies are actually quite easy and rewarding to grow once you understand their needs.
In this comprehensive guide, I’ll share everything you need to know to grow a bountiful harvest of these stunning blooms.
An Overview of Iceland Poppies
Before diving into the details, let’s do a quick rundown of what makes Iceland poppies special:
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Origins: Native to arctic and alpine regions, Iceland poppies are extremely cold-hardy. This makes them ideal for growing in cooler climates.
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Colors They come in a rainbow of bright, creamy pastel hues like white, yellow, orange pink red, and peach.
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Bloom season Depending on your climate, Iceland poppies bloom from late spring through early summer
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Uses: Prized by florists and gardeners alike, the flowers make gorgeous cut flowers with long vase life. They also add a unique, delicate beauty to any garden.
Now that you know the basics, let’s get into how to grow these beauties successfully.
Step 1: Start Seeds at the Right Time
Iceland poppies are best started indoors 6-10 weeks before your last expected spring frost. They require a long period of cool weather after germinating to grow properly, so early seeding is key.
You’ll have the most success starting with seed that’s marked “primed,” which helps boost germination rates. Reputable seed sources like Floret Flowers, GeoSeed, and Italian Ranunculus are great options.
Sow seeds shallowly in sterile seed starting mix, keep moist and expect sprouts in 4-10 days when kept at 65-70°F.
Step 2: Help Seedlings Transition Outdoors
Once seedlings have 2-4 true leaves, it’s time to transition them to a cold, bright spot outdoors. An unheated greenhouse, cold frame, or hoop house are ideal.
Harden off the plants for 7-10 days first by setting them outside for just an hour or two, then increasing time outside over the week. This prevents shock.
Guard against drying out or rotting by moving containers to a shady spot on hot days and providing good air circulation. Light frost won’t harm the seedlings either.
Step 3: Transplant at the Right Time
Iceland poppies grow best when planted out into the garden in early spring while soil is still cool. Aim for 6-8 weeks before your last expected frost.
Space plants 8-12″ apart in full sun. Improve drainage by mixing compost or peat moss into soil. Mulch after planting to retain moisture and cool roots.
If spring has already arrived, plant seedlings in morning shade to protect from afternoon heat. North-facing beds or partial shade works too.
Step 4: Provide Consistent Moisture
Iceland poppies thrive with consistent soil moisture, especially when establishing roots and while buds are forming.
Aim to water deeply 2-3 times a week if rain doesn’t provide it. Soak the entire root zone, not just the surface. As flowers open, you can decrease watering frequency.
Adding mulch and growing compainion plants that provide shade help reduce water needs too.
Step 5: Stake Plants for Support
As buds swell, Iceland poppy flower stalks become top heavy and prone to flopping over. Put stakes or small cages in place as a preventative measure.
Use 12-18″ garden stakes and gently secure 1-2 main stems per plant. Take care not to damage delicate stalks and buds in the process.
Staking improves air circulation as well, which keeps plants healthy and discourages fungal disease.
Step 6: Deadhead to Prolong Bloom
Iceland poppies are short-lived perennials that bloom heavily for just 2-4 weeks. To maximize the display:
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Deadhead spent blooms daily by pinching off just below the flower head.
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Cut back any yellowing foliage or crowded stems.
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Keep plants weed-free so they don’t have to compete for nutrients and water.
With this care, you can enjoy up to a month or more of blooms versus just a couple weeks.
Step 7: Harvest at the Right Stage
If you plan to cut Iceland poppies for bouquets, timing is everything. Harvest blooms in early morning just as the fuzzy bud coverings crack open to reveal color.
Use a sharp knife or pruners to make a clean cut. Immediately place stems in cool water. Searing or crushing the cut ends actually reduces vase life.
For the best display, cut flowers every other day during peak bloom. This keeps plants producing more buds.
Step 8: Allow Seeds to Ripen
After bloom, Iceland poppy flower stems dry and turn brown. Don’t be too quick to prune these away!
Leave some spent stems intact so seed capsules can fully ripen. Then simply collect the tiny, black seeds to sow again next season.
Allowing self-sowing also works, but you’ll get a better germination rate from hand collected seeds.
Step 9: Remove Plants After Blooming
Once Iceland poppies have finished flowering, the party is over. Plants rapidly decline in summer heat.
You can either compost or discard faded plants once seed collection is complete. Or carefully dig up a few of the healthiest plants and keep them going in containers until fall.
After a summer nap, you can take cuttings or plant the potted poppies back out in the garden in early autumn.
Troubleshooting Issues
When provided suitable growing conditions, Iceland poppies are relatively problem-free. But here are some potential issues and fixes:
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Flopping stems: Increase sunlight, space plants farther apart, and stake earlier.
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Failure to bloom: Plants got too warm. Provide more shade and go easier on nitrogen fertilizer.
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Rotting seedlings: Use sterile starting mix and allow plants to dry out between waterings. Improve airflow.
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Pests: Aphids, earwigs, slugs. Control with gentle horticultural oils and diatomaceous earth. Remove by hand.
Extending Bloom Season in Fall
While Iceland poppies are a spring and early summer performer, there are a couple tricks to get a fall display too:
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Sow a second batch of seeds in mid to late summer for flowers in autumn.
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Take 3-4″ stem cuttings in summer and root them in soil or water. Transplant the rooted cuttings in fall.
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After bloom, pot up a few plants and keep them going through summer dormancy indoors or in a cool greenhouse. Replant in fall.
With proper timing and care, you can stretch Iceland poppy bloom season from May through November!
Pairing with Companion Plants
Iceland poppies look beautiful planted en masse in the garden for a bold color display. But they also combine beautifully with these companion plants:
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Annuals: Sweet peas, bachelor buttons, cornflowers, calendulas, cosmos
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Herbs: Chives, thyme, oregano, sage, borage
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Perennials: Columbines, foxgloves, coral bells, catmint, salvia
Aim for companions with similar cultural needs, and time plantings so all are blooming simultaneously for a gorgeous spring display.
Designing Gorgeous Cut Flower Arrangements
The best part about growing Iceland poppies is getting to enjoy their splendor indoors! Here are some tips for crafting stunning arrangements with your homegrown harvest:
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Display Iceland poppies on their own for minimalist beauty. The colors and forms are eye-catching enough.
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Combine with other spring favorites like tulips, ranunculus, anemones, peonies, and lilacs.
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For a wildflower look, pair with selections like California poppies, larkspur, mountain laurel, and viburnum.
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Use florist’s foam or a pin frog/kenzan to hold tender stems upright. Recut stems every 2 days.
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Arrange small bunches in tiny vases for delicate accents around the home.
Saving Seeds for Next Season
Iceland poppies readily self sow, but you’ll get better germination rates by collecting and storing seeds yourself. Here’s how:
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Allow several seed heads to fully ripen and dry on spent plants. The capsules will turn brown.
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Hold dried capsules over a container and gently crush to release seeds. Or, pry capsules open using your fingers.
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Spread seeds on paper plates or screen to finish drying fully. Discard any seeds that are grayish versus black.
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Store thoroughly dried seeds in envelopes or jars in a cool, dry spot. The refrigerator works great.
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Label with plant name and year collected. Seeds stay viable for 2-3 years when stored properly.
Enjoying Years of Iceland Poppy Beauty
As you can see, Iceland poppies aren’t too tricky once you learn their preferences. With the right care, these short-lived perennials can bring years of joy to your garden and flower arrangements.
Iceland Poppies as a Cut Flowers
Iceland poppies add a delicate flare to any design or bouquet. People love poppies in general, but these guys are even more valuable because most poppies don’t make good cut flowers. People often ask us to make these guys just for them! They’re a little sunshine while the spring skies are still sometimes cloudy and sometimes sunny.
Like most cut flowers, the poppy needs to be harvested before pollination. When you want to store the poppies, the best time to pick them is when a bit of color is showing through the crack. If you leave the flowers in the garden at this point, they will open up when the sun comes out. When I see poppies that have just “popped” open, I pick them too. They have a surprisingly good vase life as long as you move them quickly, like when I’m working an event. Poppies open very quickly. When you walk into the garden, it will look like they had a party without their shells, which are flying around like confetti while the flowers are happily feeding bees. If you want the blooms for yourself, you must harvest them before this!.
To keep up with these prolific bloomers, I harvest twice a day in the peak of their season. Always in the cool of the day, mornings and nights.
Some cut flowers need special care after they are picked, and Iceland poppies are one of the more debated types when it comes to the best ways to do that. Nasturtiums and other flowers that leak sap and other things that make them last less long in a vase can also affect the other flowers in the vase. When it comes to the Iceland poppy, they do leak latex, and I’ve noticed it’s worse in the summer. Some suggestions for how to handle this after the fact include burning the ends with a blow torch or putting them in hot water. I had done this for a few years. When the weather gets warmer, I find that searing helps. In early spring, I’ve skipped the extra step and still gotten a nice vase life. If you don’t want to go that extra mile, pick the poppies first thing in the morning and put them in a clean bucket with a CVBN tablet. Then, put the bucket right into a cooler that is set to 38F. I leave them in there for a good twelve to twenty four hours before arranging. That had a good vase life of a week when I used this method instead of the usual three to five days bottle life. Using commercial flower food also helps!.
Designing with Iceland Poppies
Iceland poppies bring such movement and airiness to bouquets and more elaborate designs. Customers won’t believe they are even real with their delicate tissue-like paper petals. The tried-and-true Champagne Bubble types produce a lot of bubbles and work well as disk parts to make designs lighter. We also love the Colibri variety. Colibri flowers have a few fewer stems than other types, but they make up for it with bigger, more beautiful flowers that should be the center of attention. Brides love these flowers the most. In our Tahoe area, the “wildflower” aesthetic is requested by literally every couple we work for. It makes sense; our mountains are full of hidden wildflower meadows. This is one of the main reasons people come to our area, along with the lake and skiing. It is common for couples to want to honor the natural beauty of the area. Iceland poppies with their ethereality seamlessly do just that.
There are a lot of happy flowers, like Iceland poppies, that can be a hub for pollinators. However, as cut flowers, they do best at the local market, which makes them one of the few unique specialty flowers that flower farmers can offer.
Until next time, we are looking forward to helping you hand blooms soon!
How to Grow Icelandic Poppies for the First Time – Cut Flower Garden
FAQ
Do Iceland poppies come back every year?
Where is the best place to plant Iceland poppies?
How long do Iceland poppies take to grow?
Do Iceland poppies grow well in pots?
How do you grow Iceland poppies?
You can grow Iceland poppies in containers with good drainage holes and planted in well-draining soil. Since poppies are sensitive to transplanting, direct-sow the seeds—in the pot you want to grow them that season—in the fall or early spring. Make sure the plants are consistently watered and fed.
When do Iceland poppies grow?
Plant seeds in their permanent outdoor space in late winter or early spring. Though these very slow-growing plants germinate from seed fast, they can take a while to bloom and usually start in late spring into early summer. Like other poppies, Iceland poppies contain alkaloids that are toxic to humans and animals.
What are Icelandic poppies?
Sometimes called Icelandic poppies, they belong to the Papaveraceae family of flowering plants and are native to sub-arctic Asia and North America. The most popular Iceland poppy cultivar, ‘Champagne Bubbles’, gets its name from its exceptionally floaty, bright red petals.
Do Iceland poppies need to be irrigated?
Iceland poppies don’t require a lot of irrigating once they’re established, but they’ll yield more blooms if they aren’t left to dry out. Water at the base to avoid splashing the delicate petals. The weight of any water left on the top part of the plant may cause drooping and bending of the stem.
