Papaver somniferum ‘Flagship Orange’ seeds – (Poppy )

Description

This beautiful poppy, the Owairaka Seeds flagship flower, which we have had for many years,  is a brilliant clear sunset orange, the harbinger of warmth to come  ,starting its flowering in the lovely clear, cool, early summer mornings and brings the promise of all of the  beauty of the New Zealand summer’s day, no matter where you may live.

It produces many beautiful clear orange blooms which appear in early summer and continue through into summer. Its abundant  leaves are a healthy , smooth grey green, and they are slightly different in form from other somniferums, and the plant seems to be a bit more resistant to poppy  fungus which attacks some of the other somniferums. There is a possibility that this poppy is a cross between somniferum and another unknown poppy.  It is best treated as an annual though has been known to survive Auckland winters.

As with all somniferums it produces abundant seed, and left to self seed, you will get a series of flowering plants throughout the summer and on into the late autumn – at least in northern areas of New Zealand.

If you are an admirer of poppies, this  one is one of the plants that you will love , and must have , and you  will not be able to find another poppy which is as beautiful nor as easy care as this one.

Note : limited supply : only available in small quantities

Sowing advice

When: Sow seeds in early spring, to early summer and again in late summer and autumn.

I find it best to sow them in cell pots  or trays, as I get a better germination rate , but  they can also be sown directly where they are to grow, Scatter the seed sparingly onto prepared garden soil, or on the top of moist seed raising mix in pots or trays.

Do not cover the seed. Poppy seeds need light and oxygen for germination and your seeds may not germinate if they are buried. Keep the soil moist but not soggy until the seeds are well on their way .Slugs enjoy feasting on poppies, so use some form of slug bait or traps. If sown in pots or trays, plant them out into individual cell pots when they are large enough to handle, as they resent root disturbance , but will transplant when young.  If sown direct , once the seedlings are 3cm tall thin them to stand 18 cm apart as they need space to grow well.