Papaver orientale Shasta - Oriental Poppy

The Papaver Orientale 'Shasta' presents an entirely new and particularly ornamental combination of colours. Of medium size, this perennial offers, in the second half of spring, large and beautiful white flowers or a very light pink. The semi-double petal corolla is adorned with a soft pink margin, and its black heart creates a beautiful contrast—a romantic flowering enhanced by the foliage's dark green background. Easy to grow in most well-drained soils, even dry in summer, this perennial is unmatched for brightening up a slope or a flower bed.

The Poppy or Papaver is a member of the Papaveraceae family, which includes 42 genera and 775 species, including many flowering beauties such as the Romneya coulteri, or Tree Poppy, a plant of impressive dimensions. The Oriental Poppy or Tournefort's Poppy is a perennial plant native to Asia Minor, introduced to France in the early 18th century. The botanical species grows from the Caucasus to Iran, passing through Turkey, where it forms perennial clumps, with the above-ground part dying in winter only to reappear in spring. Each wild plant develops a few hairy stems, which emerge from a compact tuft of dissected leaves, and each bears a solitary flower. The flower has a diameter of 10 to 15 cm (4 to 6in) and comprises 4 to 6 petals, primarily red, sometimes white, orange or lavender. Starting in late May, flowering is interrupted in July by the heat prevailing in these regions.

The Papaver orientale 'Shasta' is an original variety due to its colour, which is quite different from the warm, red, or orange colours that Poppies have accustomed us to. Indeed, it produces large pastel flowers, with semi-double corollas exceeding 10 cm (4in) in diameter. Their colour ranges from white to extremely pale pink, with the petals also bordered on the upper periphery by a margin of slightly darker pink. The black centre, formed by the reproductive floral parts, stamens and stigmas, sharply contrasts with the pale corolla, enhancing its beauty. Composed of a rosette of dark green, elongated, dissected and downy leaves, the vegetative clump reaches about thirty centimetres in height and width, or even more, and produces flowering stems that reach 50-60 cm (20-24in) in height in May and June. During the summer heat, the leaves dry up as the plant enters a resting phase, only to re-emerge in autumn. This should be considered, and nearby plants should be planned to take over and prevent a flower bed from appearing too bare.

The Oriental Poppy 'Shasta' will be equally at home in a simple cottage garden as it will be in a diverse flower bed alongside other plants. Its romantic flowers will blend well with those of the Rugosa Roses (Rosa rugosa), with their single or double flowers of natural beauty. The Nepeta x fassenii, a small perennial with a spreading habit, will also be a good companion, with its unpretentious profusion of small blue-violet flowers throughout the growing season. The Aster sibiricus, or Summer Aster, is a small perennial that will fill the gap left by your Poppy once it has finished flowering. Available in a wide range of colours regarding foliage and flowering, the Sedums (Sedum) will also allow you to have blooms throughout the summer in your flower bed.