A Beginner's Guide To Growing A Wood Poppy Plant
If you are looking to add some brightness into your springtime garden the wood poppy is the perfect flower for you. With their lemon-yellow flowers with fuzzy seedpods and blue-green foliage, they are a welcoming addition to anyone's landscaping. They are friendly flowers that reseed themselves; however, they are never invasive to the point that they become unwelcome.
The wood poppy is a perennial, producing two inch flowers in clusters of sunny yellow from March until May. They are an excellent plant for a woodland garden and are considered a favorite among novice gardeners. Although they produce their heaviest flowering during the spring, they will continue to offer a sporadic display throughout the summer.
The stems of the plant contain a yellow sap that was actually used by native Americans as a dye. They are a native wildflower, occurring primarily along stream banks and in moist wetlands, making them quite easy to grow.
The wood poppy plant grows between 12 to 18 inches tall with delightful four-petaled flowers and pinnately-lobed foliage. They are a very easy plant to identify because of their brilliantly paired flowers and leaves.
Planting Instructions
The wood poppy is grown best in wet, loamy soils or at least moist soil. They prefer part shade or full shade and they will grow dormant early if the soil is left to dry out. After an ideal location is chosen, dig a hole that is large enough to contain all of the plant's roots.
If any of the roots of the plant seem like they are tightly bound, be sure to loosen them up prior to planting. Fill the hole completely up with water and then position the plant so that the crown is just below where the soil line is. The crown is the area where the roots of the plant meet the stem. Fill the hold back up with soil and water the plant again thoroughly. The wood poppy will naturalize itself by self-seeding when it is offered proper growing conditions.
These should be planted in the fall and in an area that is completely clear of weeds. They enjoy a rich soil so it is advised to fertilize the areas with a good amount of compost prior to planting.
If you are growing the wood poppy from seeds rather than a plant, you will scatter them and cover the seeds with just a bit of soil. When the plants grow to six inches, you will need to separate them if they are too close. They should have about one foot between the plants or they will leach nutrients from each other. It is important that these flowers are watered regularly and it is interesting to note that picking them encourages new growth and fuller plants.
These plants should be protected with a layer of mulch in the winter. It is best to do this in the late fall before the first frost. It is advised to stay clear of hay mulch because you could ultimately be planting grass from any seeds that are in the hay.
Interesting Information
Not only are these plants incredibly cheerful, they are deer-resistant so if you have problems with deer helping themselves to your landscaping, these plants are a fantastic solution. Like most other poppies, their sap contains potent chemicals that most animals will stay clear of.
These vibrant and fun flowers are incredibly easy to grow and one plant can product enough seeds to naturalize a garden over time. Lastly, even when you think that they are done blooming for the summer, a good rainfall can bring on a new bouquet, making them quite unpredictable.