Types of Poppies

Oriental Poppy (Papaver oriental)

• The Oriental poppy (Papaver oriental) is primarily an ornamental species, and is a favorite among gardeners. It is typically grown as a perennial. The classic Oriental poppy produces large, striking blood-red flowers that bloom in the late spring. However, some varieties have flowers that are white, yellow, pink or violet. It has fern-like foliage and grows to approximately 30 inches in height.

Opium Poppy

• The opium poppy (Papaver somniferum) is, as the name suggests, best known as being the source of the narcotic drug opium. In fact, it has been cultivated for thousands of years for use as an anesthetic and as a food source. It produces showy flowers similar in appearance to the Oriental poppy, but it is illegal to grow in the United States.

Corn poppy

• The corn poppy (Papaver rheas) is notable as being the poppy referred to in the famous World War I poem "In Flanders Fields." Because of this, it has become a symbol of remembrance for veterans in general, particularly those who served in World War I. It is native to Europe and grows as an annual. Its foliage is less prominent than that of the Oriental poppy, which helps to showcase its large, 3- to 4-inch-wide flowers.

Iceland Poppy

• The Iceland poppy (Papaver nudicaule) is native to the arctic regions of North America and Eurasia, where it grows as a perennial. It can be grown as far south as the Southeastern United States, but there it grows as an annual, since it cannot stand the hot summer weather of the region. It is notable for its extremely large flowers that grow up to 7 1/2 inches wide. Its petals are thin and translucent in appearance.