Poppy Supreme Seeds - Papaver rhoeas

This selection of Papaver rhoeas or field poppies 'Supreme' is a mix of poppies that distinguishes themselves with the beauty of their huge, semi-double to double corollas. Consistently bicoloured, taking on different shades of pink, cherry or even orange depending on the plants, and displaying white centres. These poetic, undemanding annuals grow and self-seed readily in the sun. They make do with any mediocre soil, even heavy, chalky, degraded ones. This selection bred by the famous seed company Thompson & Morgan is a Fleuroselect winner.

The field poppy, also known as the common poppy, or simply as poppy, is an annual plant of the family Papaveraceae that is native to Asia Minor. 'Supreme' is a marvelous mix of plants derived from this adorable weed. Fast growing, in one season they reach a height of 60 to 70 cm when in flower and a width of 30-40 cm. Fragile in appearance, just like their slender, rough and sparsely branched stems, these plants form clumps of alternate leaves that are divided into narrow, toothed lobes. Their true vigour is revealed when they inevitably emerge from freshly overturned soil, germinating from seeds that are sometimes very old. Broken stems exude a white, milky sap. They flower in summer, from June to August, depending on the climate and the time of sowing. The huge flowers measure up to 10 cm in diameter and are made up of several rows of silky, slightly crumpled, bicoloured petals, edged with true pink, reddish-pink or soft orange, arranged around a white centre. The centre bears numerous stamens with dark anthers. The flowers give way to fruits in the form of capsules containing numerous seeds that the wind will scatter.

At ease in wild gardens, in cloister gardens and gardens without gardeners, poppies make it possible to quickly and effortlessly create oceans of flowers of poignant simplicity, harmonizing perfectly with the harsh summer light. Although they are not very long-lasting in bouquets, poppy flowers are extremely charming in beds when combined with tall daisies, big peonies, love-in-a-mist or the swaying leaves of ornamental grasses. This annual plant, like cosmos, has no equal when it comes to covering sunny embankments around new constructions and bright open spaces between annuals or big, late flowering perennials such as Helianthus whose blooms take over later in the season. If you still want to make bouquets with these flowers, the stems should be cauterized where they have been cut in order to prevent the flowers from fading the same day.