Oriental Poppy plant profile
Papaver orientale
A perennial flower for full sun.
Last updated .
When to plant
When to plant Oriental Poppy
Oriental poppy is propagated by seed or root cuttings and needs an adequate cold winter period for good germination (NC State). It generally struggles in heat and humidity south of zone 7; the foliage dies back after the early-summer bloom and a basal rosette reappears in fall.
The calendar shows this cited seasonal window as an approximate band. It does not convert the season into frost-adjusted dates.
Open Oriental Poppy in my garden calendarShows the source-backed planting season, not frost-adjusted dates.
Growing conditions
- Sun
- Full sun
- Soil pH
- 6 to 8
- Lifecycle
- Perennial
- Spacing
- 12 to 36 in apart
- Hardiness
- Zones 3a to 7bFind my hardiness zone
Common problems
Watch for these
Evidence trail
Evidence behind this profile
Original extension and institutional publications behind the planting, care, and safety facts on this page.
- Papaver orientale (Oriental Poppy)
North Carolina Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox. Supports general reference. Checked 2026-06-18.