Poppy family

Plant family

Season Overview

Details

Light requirement

Sunny

Water requirement

Dry

Soil

Light (sandy)

Nutrient requirement

Medium

Light germinator

Seeding distance

20 cm

Row spacing

40 cm

Seeding depth

0 cm

Instructions

Description

The poppy family (Papaveraceae) are mostly annual, biennial, perennial or herbaceous plants. There are only a few shrubs or trees. The plants of this family usually contain milky sap. The stem leaves are alternate, usually there are no stipules. The flowers, which are always hermaphrodite, are solitary or clustered together in inflorescences of various structures. Often capsule fruits are formed. The family Papaveraceae is divided into two subfamilies: The Papaveroideae and the Fumarioideae. The Papaveroideae subfamily is divided into three tribus: Chelidonieae, Eschscholzieae (this includes species such as the California poppy), and Papavereae. Some species of the Papaveraceae are cultivated as ornamentals.

Growing tips

Choose a suitable location from the outset, because the tender young plantlets are very difficult to prick. To facilitate the sowing of fine seeds, mix the seeds with sand and spread them in wide cubes or shallow grooves. Then cover very thinly with soil, as poppies are light germinators, press down and keep moist. Poppies prefer well-drained, deep soil in a sunny location. Prolonged wetness makes perennial poppies especially susceptible to fungal diseases. The affected areas should be cut off immediately.