ORIENTAL
POPPY
Family PAPAVERACEAE
Papaver orientale
Perennial
A brilliantly coloured perennial, native to Asia
Minor, and possessing the largest flowers of the
genus.
The leaves are deeply lobed and bristly, often
six inches across.
The stems are also bristly and attain height varying
from three to four feet, though some of the garden
forms are of dwarfer habit.
The flowers are usually of six petals, broad and
overlapping, of a brilliant orange-scarlet, with
a deep purple base.
Varieties of garden origin vary in colour, outstanding
kinds being:
“Perry’s White”;
“Salmon Glow”;
“Cowichan”, scarlet;
“Lady Haig”, deep red;
“Mrs Stobart”, cerise-pink;
“Olympia”, double red;
“Lord Lambourne”, orange-scarlet.
These plants will grow in any good garden soil
and will remain in perfect vigour if allowed to
remain undisturbed for several years to form large
floriferous clumps.
Propagation is effected by root cuttings and from
seed.
The flowering season is in June.
See also : Meconopsis
, Poppy
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