Papaver, Atlantic Poppy, Double Atlas Poppy, Moroccan Poppy, Spanish Poppy 'Flore Pleno'

Flowers are a beautiful soft creamsicle orange, and last only a day. Flowering begins with a flush in June and then persists, one or two ...Read Moreflowers at a time, into late fall. I shear plants back when the accumulating seedpods start looking messy. Foliage sometimes also needs a cutback in late summer if it gets lanky/ragged.

This is 18-24" tall in bloom, much of which is wiry flower stem.

I've read that this makes a good (though not longlasting) cut flower if cut when the bud is just showing color and the cut ends of the stems are dipped in boiling water---as for any poppy.

Adaptable from full sun to part shade. This is a reliable self-sower, not excessively aggressive in its self-sowing. There are strains with single flowers as well as the one with double flowers.

The correct name may be Papaver rupifragum var. atlanticum. There are numerous synonyms for this species. A staff horticulturist at the Montreal Botanic Gardens has suggested that it's actually Papaver nordhagenianum ssp. islandicum, or is it P. radiatum ssp radiatum (Arctic poppy)? I just call it "that cute little orange poppy."

This plant has done well for me in gardens in Livermore and Pleasanton, CA. It requires little care and blooms over a long period, sendin...Read Moreg up flowers a few at a time. It will make a stronger impact if three or more plants are grouped together. The orange flowers draw many comments.