The poppy shines in numerous colors that add the finishing touches to its characteristic look. 20 types of poppies introduce you to the world of colors of the poppy family (Papaveraceae).

In a nutshell

  • in 6 colors
  • represented worldwide
  • poisonous

Poppies in white

Alpine poppy (Papaver alpinum)

  • Distribution: Alps, Carpathians, at an altitude of about 2,000 m
  • Growth: upright, strong, clump-forming, perennial
  • Growth height: 5 to 20 cm
  • Colour: white, rarely yellow
  • Flowering time: August
  • Flowers: single, overhanging, later upright, radially symmetrical, in fours, yellow stamens
  • Location: sunny to shady, well-drained, low in nutrients, calcareous, ideal for rock gardens and alpine gardens

Iceland poppy (Papaver nudicaule)

  • Synonym: bare stem poppy
  • Distribution: Kazakhstan through Russia and Mongolia to Alaska and Canada
  • Growth: upright, clump-forming, annual or perennial
  • Growth height: 10 to 50 cm
  • Colour: white, white-yellow, more rarely light yellow or orange
  • Flowering period: April or May to mid-August or September
  • Flowers: solitary, radially symmetrical, medium-sized, inflorescences leafless
  • Location: sunny to shady, not too hot, loamy, well-drained, sandy, ideal for rock gardens

Yellow poppy

Arctic poppy (Papaver radicatum)

  • Distribution: Arctic including Kaffeklubben Island (world's northernmost island)
  • Growth: upright, cushion-forming, loose, perennial, yellowish milky sap
  • Growth height: 10 to 20 cm
  • Colour: sulfur to green-yellow
  • Flowering period: May to late June
  • Flower: solitary, large, nodding
  • Location: sunny to shady, stony, well-drained, loose, ideal for gravel and rock gardens

Notice: Eight subspecies of the arctic poppy are native to northern Europe. They are more commonly referred to as polar poppies.

Gray poppy (Papaver canescens)

  • Distribution: High mountains in Central Asia and southern Siberia
  • Growth: upright, cushion-forming, perennial
  • Growth height: 5 to 15 cm
  • Color yellow
  • Flowering period: June to August
  • flower: solitary, fourfold, small

Japanese poppy (Papaver fauriei)

Source: sunoochi, Papaver fauriei '-200214' (Fedde) Fedde ex Miyabe & Tatew., Trans. Sapporo Nat. history society 14(4) 258 (1936) (50133253922), edited by Plantopedia, CC BY 2.0
  • Distribution: Hokkaido (Rishiri Island), Kuril Island chain
  • Growth: upright, clump-forming, perennial
  • Growth height: up to 10 cm
  • Colour: pale yellow to greenish yellow
  • Flowering period: June to July
  • Flower: solitary, radially symmetrical, in fours, large stamens
  • Location: sunny to half-shady, rocky, well-drained, sandy

California poppy (Eschscholzia californica)

  • Synonym: golden poppy, sleepyhead, Californian cap poppy
  • Distribution: Mexico, southwestern USA
  • Habit: upright, slightly woody, slightly branched, bare, annual in Central Europe, persistent in warm temperatures
  • Growth height: up to 60 cm
  • Color: orange, rarely yellow
  • Flowering period: mid-June to October
  • Flowers: solitary, bowl-shaped flowers, simple, radial symmetry
  • Location: full sun, warm, sheltered, loose, light, loamy, sandy

Kuril poppy (Papaver miyabeanum)

Source: Ghislain118 (AD) http://www.fleurs-des-montagnes.net, Papaver miyabeanum 1, edited by Plantopedia, CC BY-SA 3.0
  • Distribution: Kuril Island Chain
  • Growth: upright, loose, cushion-forming, perennial
  • Growth height: up to 15 cm
  • Colour: pale yellow
  • Flowering period: May to mid-July
  • flower: solitary, radially symmetrical, fourfold
  • Location: full sun, loose, permeable, ideal for rock gardens

Wild poppy (Papaver cambricum)

  • Synonym: Pyrenean poppy, Cambrian poppy
  • Distribution: European Atlantic coast from Spain to Ireland
  • Growth: upright, clump-forming, perennial
  • Growth height: 15 to 75 cm
  • Colour: intense yellow
  • Flowering period: June to mid-September
  • Flowers: solitary, bowl-shaped flowers, in fours
  • Location: shady to semi-shady, well-drained, humus-rich, undemanding

Orange poppies

Atlas poppy (Papaver atlanticum)

Source: Uleli, Papaver atlanticum 'Flore Pleno', edited by Plantopedia, CC BY-SA 3.0
  • Distribution: Atlas Mountains (Morocco)
  • Growth: upright, rarely overhanging, basal, perennial
  • Growth height: 10 to 60 cm
  • Colour: intense orange
  • Flowering period: May to mid-July
  • Flower: solitary, in fours, obovate
  • Location: shady to semi-shady, well drained, loose, moderately nutritious, ideal for scree and rock gardens

Hairy poppy (Papaver pilosum)

  • Distribution: Northwest Turkey
  • Growth: upright, slightly branched, perennial
  • Growth height: 10 to 60 cm
  • Colour: pale orange
  • Flowering time: mid-May to June
  • Flower: solitary, upright, radially symmetrical, in fours
  • Location: sunny to semi-shady, loose, well-drained, ideal for rock gardens

seed poppy (papaver dubium)

  • Distribution: Europe to western Asia
  • Growth: upright, well branched, heavily leafed, annual
  • Growth height: 30 to 100 cm
  • Colour: deep orange, more rarely orange-red or white
  • Flowering time: mid-May to July
  • Flowers: solitary, bowl-shaped flowers, in fours
  • Location: full sun, warm, undemanding, permeable, avoids lime

Spanish poppy (Papaver rupifragum)

Source: Salicyna, Papaver rupifragum 2016-05-17 0489, edited by Plantopedia, CC BY-SA 4.0
  • Synonym: rock poppy
  • Distribution: Morocco to southern Spain
  • Growth: upright, clump-forming, loosely branched, perennial
  • Growth height: 20 to 40 cm
  • Colour: intense orange
  • Flowering time: June to the end of August
  • Flower: radial symmetric
  • Location: full sun, warm, dry, fresh, well-drained, ideal for rock and wall gardens

Red/Orange & Red Poppy

Medicinal poppy (Papaver bracteatum)

  • Synonym: Armenian poppy
  • Distribution: Caucasus region to Anatolia
  • Growth: upright, robust, basal, perennial
  • Growth height: 120 to 140 cm
  • Colour: scarlet with black mottled ground
  • Flowering period: mid-May to early June (max. 2 weeks)
  • Flower: solitary, radially symmetrical, large (10 to 20 cm), obovate
  • Location: sunny, dry, permeable
  • Special features: ingredient thebaine is used for drug production

Corn poppy (Papaver rhoeas)

  • Synonym: poppy, corn rose
  • Distribution: Europe to the Middle East
  • Growth: upright, sparsely branched, thin, annual to biennial, finely hairy
  • Growth height: 20 to 100 cm
  • Colour: crimson or scarlet red, with a black spot in the middle, more rarely with a white border
  • Flowering time: mid-May to July
  • Flowers: solitary, large (up to 10 cm), bowl-shaped flowers, in fours
  • Location: sunny, warm, sheltered from the wind, loose, sandy, moderately nutritious, likes lime

Ladybird poppy (Papaver commutatum)

  • Synonym: dwarf poppy
  • Distribution: Turkey, Near East
  • Growth: upright to ascending, branches on the ground, thin stalks, annual
  • Growth height: up to 50 cm
  • Colour: intense red, ground black spotted
  • Flowering time: mid-May to August
  • Flower: single, large, radially symmetrical, fourfold
  • Location: sunny, warm, nutritious

Red Tulip Poppy (Papaver glaucum)

Source: peganum from Small Dole, England, Papaver glauca - Flickr - peganum (1), edited by Plantopedia, CC BY-SA 2.0
  • Distribution: Middle East
  • Growth: upright, perennial
  • Growth height: up to 70 cm
  • Colour: scarlet with black mottled ground
  • Flowering period: late May to late September
  • Flower: large (10 cm), fourfold, radial symmetric
  • Location: full sun, warm, well-drained, loose, fresh, ideal for rock gardens

Turkish poppy (Papaver orientale)

  • Synonym: Oriental poppy, garden poppy, oriental poppy, perennial poppy, fire poppy
  • Distribution: Turkey, Near East
  • Growth: upright, basal, slightly branched, perennial
  • Growth height: 10 to 100 cm
  • Colour: orange-red
  • Flowering time: mid-May to June
  • Flower: solitary, large (up to 15 cm), cup-shaped flower
  • Location: full sun, warm, permeable, humic
  • Likelihood of confusion: medicinal poppy

Blue poppies

Greater false poppy (Meconopsis grandis)

Source: Arashiyama, Meconopsis grandis 4, edited by Plantopedia, CC BY-SA 3.0
  • Distribution: Himalayas
  • Growth: upright, clump-forming, perennial
  • Growth height: 80 to 150 cm
  • Colour: sky blue
  • Flowering period: May to mid-June
  • Blossom: solitary, radially symmetrical, bowl-shaped, large
  • Location: shady to semi-shady, acidic, ideal for rock gardens

Prickly poppy (Meconopsis horridula)

  • Distribution: India to East China
  • Habit: upright, clump-forming, biennial, covered with bristles up to 1 cm long
  • Growth height: 5 to 40 cm
  • Colour: light to dark blue
  • Flowering period: July to August
  • Flower: radially symmetrical, five to sixfold, with numerous stamens
  • Location: sunny to semi-shady, sandy, well drained, acidic, low in lime

Purple poppy: opium poppy

The opium poppy (Papaver somniferum) is one of the best-known poppy species. Compared to the other taxa, it stands out because of its purple poppy, which makes it unmistakable. Furthermore, the species has been known since ancient times for its calming and at the same time psychoactive effect, which can be attributed to the opiates contained in the milky juice. This is used for the production of morphine, an intense painkiller and intoxicant. Following are the characteristics of the purple poppy:

  • Distribution: unknown (probably eastern or western Mediterranean)
  • Growth: upright, slightly branched, annual
  • Growth height: 30 to 150 cm
  • Colour: mostly violet, white or red, rare dark base spot
  • Flowering time: June to the end of August
  • Flower: solitary, radially symmetrical, stamens up to 4 mm long
  • Location: full to sunny, warm, loose, humus-rich, fresh

Notice: Due to its ingredients, opium poppies cannot be cultivated in Germany without a permit, no matter how small the area under cultivation. As with medicinal poppy seeds, cultivation without permission violates the Narcotics Act (BtMG).

frequently asked Questions

Are all types of poppy poisonous?

Yes, they are considered poisonous due to the milky sap they contain in all parts of the plant. Depending on the species, the milky sap contains varying amounts of various alkaloids with toxic properties. The only exception are the seeds, which are often used by humans to produce oils or as a baking ingredient due to their aroma.

Are the seeds safe to eat?

The seeds themselves do not pose a health hazard to the body, but residues of the milky sap may stick to them during harvest. The milky juice is also in the seed capsule. For this reason, poppy seeds must be thoroughly cleaned and dried immediately after harvesting so that they can be eaten without hesitation.

What must be considered when caring for poppy species?

Be sure to wear gloves when cutting or harvesting to prevent the milky sap from entering the body through scratches or cuts. You should also wash your hands well if milk juice gets on your skin so that it is not accidentally consumed or gets on mucous membranes.

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