Celandine Poppy Facts

Size

• Celandine poppies grow 12 to 18 inches tall. The four-petalled flowers are 2 inches wide and are produced singly or in small clusters on the ends of upright stems.

Planting Celadine Poppies

• Celandine poppies are not often found in mainstream garden centers, but you may find them in specialty nurseries or online. Never harvest plants from the wild; in many states it's illegal to dig up wildflowers, and at any rate, such plants rarely transplant well. If you can't find plants, seeds are available from many sources.

  Grow celandine poppies in partial to full shade in moist, organic soil. They'll go dormant if the soil dries out so keep them constantly moist. Celandine poppies are hardy perennials in U.S. Department of Agriculture plant zones 4 through 8, where they self-seed to form large colonies.

Sap

• Always wear gardening gloves and old clothes when handling celandine poppies. The yellow sap was used by American Indians as a dye.

About the Name

• Celandine poppies are also called wood poppies. The common name celandine poppy is a reference to their resemblance to celandine (Chelidonium majus), another poppy family member. The species name "diphyllum" means two leaves, as only plants with two leaves produce flowers. The deeply lobed leaves are very attractive even when the plant is not in flower.