Opium Poppy Pink Fizz Seeds - Papaver somniferum

The pink and white bicolour flowers of this annual poppy also called Papaver somniferum Pink Fizz, held atop tall stems emerging from silvery foliage, gently sway in the wind. Its ruffled flowers with frayed petals can be seen all summer long and are followed by fruit that are very ornamental in dried flower bouquets. Sow this undemanding plant, full of easy grace, directly in sunny beds.

The opium poppy 'Pink Fizz' is a recent and original horticultural variety, belonging to the Papaveraceae or poppy family. It is derived from Papaver somniferum var. nigrum, which is found in the mountains of Asia, but also in Europe, on limestone soils where poppies usually grow. This plant, which probably originated in the regions between the Mediterranean and Anatolia, has given rise to a multitude of varieties that have long been cultivated for ornamental purposes.

'Pink Fizz' displays magnificent, undulating, silvery foliage with beautifully lobed, elliptical leaves with scalloped margins. From its 30 to 40 cm wide clump of foliage, tall stems sprout up from June to August, bearing particularly refined and original, solitary flowers, 90 cm above the ground. Each flower is made up of four irregular petals that appear as silky, bright pink to pale pink fabric, shredded into fine tatters. The base of the petals are white whilst the centre of the flower, like that of poppies, is adorned with a cluster of black stamens. Summer blooms give way to a characteristic fruit, filled with small very ornamental black seeds which take on a slate blue sheen as it dries. Their aspect changes with the light because of the film of crystallized wax that protects their surfaces. Opium poppies have a taproot that is not very resistant to transplanting, so it is best to sow them in place. 

Comfortable in sophisticated gardens, in medieval-type gardens and gardens without gardeners, opium poppies make it possible to quickly and effortlessly create oceans of infinitely delicate flowers that seem to dance on the silvery foam of their foliage, creating a stirring spectacle of vivid, dark or pastel colours. Although they are not very long-lasting in bouquets, the flowers of the opium poppy 'Pink Fizz' are extremely charming in flowerbeds when combined with the heavier flowers of peonies, tall daisies or with the moving strands of grasses. This annual plant, like the cosmos, has no equivalent for occupying the open sunny spaces between annuals or large perennials such as Helianthus, whose flowers take over later in the season. 

Once the flowering period is over, the fruit remains providing a precious asset for dry bouquets, but also the poppy straw, which is often perceived in more wild areas as a majestic element of the garden or a somewhat enigmatic remnant of summer.