Park's Black Peony, Poppy Seeds

Park's Black Peony Poppy Seed

Near-black peony blooms create breathtaking early-summer drama
Ruffled maroon petals top four-foot stems
Ornamental seedpods dry beautifully for arrangements
Cool dry climates support best performance

See product details

Key Attributes

Botanical Name

Papaver paeoniflorum

Days to maturity

58 Days

Sun

Full Sun

Packet

15 Seeds

About Park's Black Peony, Poppy Seed, Poppy Seed

The Park's Black Peony Poppy is an unique midnight black to deep dark maroon poppy that produces ruffled peony-like blooms! These incredible flowers will reach to be 4 feet tall and begin to bloom in early summer. The beautiful seedpods can be used dried in different arrangements. Park's Black Peony Poppy thrives in cool and dry climates as they do not do well in humid regions.

Growing details

Planting

Sow Depth

Top of Soil

Days to Germination

7–14 days

Germination Type

M - Fall Sow Recommended

In-row plant spacing

6-18"

Plant profile

Life Cycle

Annual

Plant Height

24 inches

Growth Habits

Upright

Seed & variety

Seeds Per Ounce

165,000

Color

Black

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.