Great Red, Poppy Seeds

Great Red Poppy Seed

Brilliant red cups rise on long, uniform stems
Exceptional drought tolerance suits dry sunny gardens
Light sandy soils support strongest performance
Bold flowers command borders and bouquets

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Key Attributes

Botanical Name

Papaver orientale var bracteatum

Days to maturity

58 Days

Sun

Full Sun

Packet

1000 Seeds

Zones 3–7 Check your growing zone

About Great Red, Poppy Seed, Poppy Seed

The Great Red Poppy is a brilliant, bright red flower that blooms on long, stalks that will give any garden a neat and uniform appearance. This poppy variety is extremely drought tolerant, ideal for arid environments. The Great Red has brilliant red, cup-shaped flowers that sit on long stalks and prefer full sun in light to sandy soils.

Growing details

Planting

Sow Depth

Top of Soil

Days to Germination

14–28 days

Germination Type

M - Fall Sow Recommended

In-row plant spacing

6-18"

Plant profile

Life Cycle

Perennial

Hardiness Zone

Zones 3-7

Plant Height

24 inches

Growth Habits

Clumping, Upright

Seed & variety

Seeds Per Ounce

164,375

Color

Red

Seed Type

Open Pollinated

Before Planting

Poppy grows best in a full-sun site with well-drained soil and good air circulation. Remove perennial weeds, loosen compacted ground, and incorporate modest compost without making the bed overly rich. Prepare a fine, firm seedbed. Plan a fall or winter sowing so natural seasonal conditions support germination.

Planting

Direct sow poppies in late fall or very early spring; they germinate best in cool conditions and resent transplanting. Scatter the fine seed over the prepared surface, press it into contact, and keep it lightly moist until emergence. Thin seedlings carefully after true leaves develop, preferably by cutting extras, and avoid disturbing the taproots of retained plants.

Watering

Water poppy regularly until established, then irrigate deeply only when the soil becomes dry. Avoid frequent shallow watering and saturated conditions, which encourage weak growth or root disease.

Fertilizer

Rather than fertilizing routinely, give poppy a light balanced feeding when establishment or flowering growth is weak. Do not overfeed; lush growth often comes at the expense of flowers.

Harvesting

Cut poppy flowers when blooms are well colored and at the opening stage best suited to display. Harvest during the cool morning with clean shears, leaving healthy foliage for continued flowering.

Tips

Pinch young poppy plants to encourage branching when appropriate, then deadhead regularly to extend flowering. Succession plantings can maintain color after the earliest plants decline.

Pests & Diseases

Poppies may develop downy mildew, powdery mildew, Botrytis, damping-off, or bacterial blight. Thin seedlings early and remove plants with distorted, gray-purple growth beneath leaves. Avoid saving seed from blighted capsules, rotate planting sites, and clear volunteer poppies that perpetuate disease.

Tender growth and blooms on poppy may be damaged by aphids, thrips, spider mites, beetles, slugs, or caterpillars. Use hand removal for larger pests and targeted, labeled controls for confirmed infestations, avoiding sprays during pollinator activity.