What Do Young Poppies Look Like? A Guide to Identifying Poppy Seedlings

Poppies (Papaveraceae) are stunningly beautiful herbaceous annual, biennial, and perennial plants. The flowers are showy, with usually four crêpe-like, crinkled petals surrounding a central stigma and pistil. Within a day, after attracting pollinators, many poppies will drop their bright petals, leaving behind a pretty pod that quickly fills up with ripe seeds [1]. You can either let the seed pods grow on their own or cut them off to get more flowers. Most poppies will send up several rounds of flowers even without deadheading. The rich pollen (too heavy to cause allergies in humans) also supplies honeybees with an important energy source. There are many popular annual poppies that can be grown from seeds. These include the breadseed or opium poppy (Papaver Somniferum), the corn poppy (Papaver Rhoeas), the peony poppy (Papaver paeoniflorum), and the California poppy (Eschscholzia californica). All of these types of seeds need to be protected from cold weather, and the seedlings are too fragile to move, so they should be planted directly in the garden. When you plant from fall to very early spring, the cold and wet weather breaks down the hard seed coat slowly, just in time for the growing season. Poppy seeds should be planted on top of the ground, not buried, because they also need light to grow.

From the genus Papaver somniferum, we sell a Breadseed Poppy Mix that has Elka, Ziar Breadseed, and Black Beauty types. Expect showy-but-ephemeral flowers in mostly pastel hues from this mix. For an all pink breadseed variety, opt for Pink Moon. You could say that Pink Moon came into our lives by chance. We thought we were growing Blue Moon in our trials garden, but the seed supplier sent us a batch of unnamed seeds instead. We decided to name the variety after one of our favorite Nick Drake songs.

If you want to add a sculpture to your yard with big, pretty seed pods that sway in the wind, grow somniferum or breadseed poppies. Once ripe, the abundant, nutritious seeds can be used for baking and other culinary delights. The species Somniferum is valued for its milky latex, which is used to make medicines like morphine, which the World Health Organization calls an “essential medicine.”

Corn poppy is a wonderful, old fashioned favorite best known for its vibrant, blood-red petals and black centers. Red corn poppies were first popularized by Madame E, a French lecturer and humanitarian who used them as a symbol for Remembrance Day or Veterans Day. Guérin who sold paper versions to raise money for widows and orphans following World War I. Widows and orphans made the paper poppies that were sold and put up to remember veterans and soldiers who died in battle. The tradition was eventually adopted by many other European countries, as well as Canada and the United States. People say that these are the same poppies that sprung up on shelled fields to bloom over the graves of soldiers, which inspired John McCrae, a Canadian doctor and veteran, to write the famous poem “In Flanders Fields.”

But not all corn poppies are red and black. Collecting seeds carefully has led to strains of different colors, from yellow to pink with spots. Sir Cedric Morris, an artist and plant lover, came up with the idea for our Mother of Pearl Poppy. He carefully picked out seeds from the odd white, pink, or lavender flower and saved them. This led to a seashell palette of petals in painterly washes of white, pink, maroon, and red. Our Shirley Single Poppy Mix flowers in pink, red, and white. Corn poppies easily spread themselves, just like most annual poppies. They do well in rock gardens and other wild areas of your garden.

Not to be outdone, peony poppies have rich double flowers with petals that are densely ruffled and beautifully fringed, making them look like silky pompoms. We carry Scarlet Peony Poppy which grows on 2-3 tall plants and produces 5″ bursts of bloom. Antique Flemish poppy has double blooms reminiscent of carnations with petals of mottled pink, red, and white. You can use the seeds for baking just as you would for breadseed poppies. If you want poppies to bloom in your garden next year, now is the time to choose a spot and plant some seeds. All you need is some bare soil with good drainage located in full to part sun. Poppies are not picky and do not need extra amendments to do well. Because the seed is so small, some people mix it with sand to make it spread out more evenly. You can also sprinkle the seeds carefully, being careful not to put too many in one place. Do not mulch, since light is essential for germination. Sow poppies from fall to very early spring (several weeks ahead of your last frost).

In mid- to late-spring some very tiny seedlings will emerge (be patient). Poppy seedlings will have a blue-green tinge to their foliage in contrast to any young weeds nearby. Thin seedlings to allow the plants enough room to mature (see “Growing Instructions” listed under specific varieties). Your poppies will grow like crazy as the weather gets warmer. They will bloom in late spring and early summer. It is easy to save the seed, and you can even do what Sir Cedric Morris did and make your own mix by picking seeds from strange flowers.

How to GrowPoppies from Seed

Poppies (Papaveraceae) are stunningly beautiful herbaceous annual, biennial, and perennial plants. The flowers are showy, with usually four crêpe-like, crinkled petals surrounding a central stigma and pistil. Within a day, after attracting pollinators, many poppies will drop their bright petals, leaving behind a pretty pod that quickly fills up with ripe seeds [1]. You can either let the seed pods grow on their own or cut them off to get more flowers. Most poppies will send up several rounds of flowers even without deadheading. The rich pollen (too heavy to cause allergies in humans) also supplies honeybees with an important energy source. There are many popular annual poppies that can be grown from seeds. These include the breadseed or opium poppy (Papaver Somniferum), the corn poppy (Papaver Rhoeas), the peony poppy (Papaver paeoniflorum), and the California poppy (Eschscholzia californica). All of these types of seeds need to be protected from cold weather, and the seedlings are too fragile to move, so they should be planted directly in the garden. When you plant from fall to very early spring, the cold and wet weather breaks down the hard seed coat slowly, just in time for the growing season. Poppy seeds should be planted on top of the ground, not buried, because they also need light to grow.

From the genus Papaver somniferum, we sell a Breadseed Poppy Mix that has Elka, Ziar Breadseed, and Black Beauty types. Expect showy-but-ephemeral flowers in mostly pastel hues from this mix. For an all pink breadseed variety, opt for Pink Moon. You could say that Pink Moon came into our lives by chance. We thought we were growing Blue Moon in our trials garden, but the seed supplier sent us a batch of unnamed seeds instead. We decided to name the variety after one of our favorite Nick Drake songs.

If you want to add a sculpture to your yard with big, pretty seed pods that sway in the wind, grow somniferum or breadseed poppies. Once ripe, the abundant, nutritious seeds can be used for baking and other culinary delights. The species Somniferum is valued for its milky latex, which is used to make medicines like morphine, which the World Health Organization calls an “essential medicine.”

Corn poppy is a wonderful, old fashioned favorite best known for its vibrant, blood-red petals and black centers. Used as an emblem for Remembrance Day or Veterans Day, red corn poppies were initially promoted by French lecturer and humanitarian Madame E. Guérin who sold paper versions to raise money for widows and orphans following World War I. The widows and orphans would craft the paper poppies which were sold and displayed to honor veterans and fallen soldiers. The tradition was eventually adopted by many other European countries, as well as Canada and the United States. These are the same poppies that are said to have notably sprung up on shelled fields to bloom over soldiers graves, inspiring the famous poem “In Flanders Fields” by Canadian physician and veteran John McCrae.

But not all corn poppies are red and black. Collecting seeds carefully has led to strains of different colors, from yellow to pink with spots. Sir Cedric Morris, an artist and plant lover, came up with the idea for our Mother of Pearl Poppy. He carefully picked out seeds from the odd white, pink, or lavender flower and saved them. This led to a seashell palette of petals in painterly washes of white, pink, maroon, and red. Our Shirley Single Poppy Mix flowers in pink, red, and white. Corn poppies easily spread themselves, just like most annual poppies. They do well in rock gardens and other wild areas of your garden.

Not to be outdone, peony poppies have rich double flowers with petals that are densely ruffled and beautifully fringed, making them look like silky pompoms. We carry Scarlet Peony Poppy which grows on 2-3 tall plants and produces 5″ bursts of bloom. Antique Flemish poppy has double blooms reminiscent of carnations with petals of mottled pink, red, and white. You can use the seeds for baking just as you would for breadseed poppies. If you want poppies to bloom in your garden next year, now is the time to choose a spot and plant some seeds. All you need is some bare soil with good drainage located in full to part sun. Poppies are not picky and do not need extra amendments to do well. Because the seed is so small, some people mix it with sand to make it spread out more evenly. You can also sprinkle the seeds carefully, being careful not to put too many in one place. Do not mulch, since light is essential for germination. Sow poppies from fall to very early spring (several weeks ahead of your last frost).

In mid- to late-spring some very tiny seedlings will emerge (be patient). Poppy seedlings will have a blue-green tinge to their foliage in contrast to any young weeds nearby. Thin seedlings to allow the plants enough room to mature (see “Growing Instructions” listed under specific varieties). Your poppies will grow like crazy as the weather gets warmer. They will bloom in late spring and early summer. It is easy to save the seed, and you can even do what Sir Cedric Morris did and make your own mix by picking seeds from strange flowers.

the ONLY way I grow poppies perfect germination & you’ll never buy seeds again!

FAQ

What do poppies look like when first sprouting?

How do you identify a poppy seedling?

Why is it illegal to pick poppies?

What are the stages of poppy growth?

What does a poppy seedling look like?

The true leaves of a poppy seedling are more intricately shaped, bearing a resemblance to crinkled, hair-like foliage. They are typically light green in color and as they mature, the leaves adopt the deeply lobed, grey-green characteristics familiar to many poppy varieties.

What do opium poppies look like?

Opium poppies look quite similar to oriental poppies, with their large flowers with crinkly petals borne on tall stems. If you want to learn to tell oriental and opium poppies apart, you’ll need to look closely to notice the differences. Oriental poppy leaves are bright green and finely cut. They do not clasp the poppy stem.

How tall do poppies grow?

Poppies are versatile, show-stopping plants that include several varieties, from the big, bold Oriental poppy, which can grow as tall as (122cm), to the demure Alpine poppy, topping out at about 10 inches (25cm). Poppies are tough plants

How do you tell opium & Oriental Poppies apart?

If you want to learn to tell oriental and opium poppies apart, you’ll need to look closely to notice the differences. Oriental poppy leaves are bright green and finely cut. They do not clasp the poppy stem. Opium poppy leaves have a gray or blue hue mixed in with the green. The broad leaf bases do clasp the poppy stem.

What does a scarlet red poppy look like?

Classify scarlet red poppy flowers that appear alone, with no other colors of poppy nearby, as Flanders poppy (Papaver rhoeas). These flowers have hairy, thick stems and hairy leaves. The red petals feel crinkly and hide a black center with yellow stamens. These poppies only bloom in June and July.

How do you know if a poppy is a Papaver?

The red petals feel crinkly and hide a black center with yellow stamens. Find multicolored groups of poppies with coarse, hairy foliage and stems and blossoms in hues of red, pink, white, yellow or orange. These may be either Oriental poppy (Papaver orientale) or Icelandic poppy (Papaver nudicaule).