Papaver x orientale Picotee - Pavot d'orient, Pavot de Tournefort, Pavot oriental

The Papaver orientale 'Picotee' is a variety of Oriental poppy with a most unusual colouring. Its large white flowers are broadly edged with salmon-orange to vermilion. This border, more or less wide depending on the flower, highlights the undulating, crumpled outline of the petals, around a cluster of almost black stamens. The flowers open into large cups in late spring, above a clump of hairy, dissected leaves. Very hardy, it is a robust and long-lasting perennial for sunny borders, cottage-style beds and vicar's gardens.

This poppy belongs to the Papaveraceae family. It is a herbaceous perennial: its above-ground parts die back for part of the year, but its fleshy stump remains alive underground. It is classified in the horticultural group of Oriental poppies, which includes Papaver orientale and varieties resulting from cross-breeding with closely related species, notably P. bracteatum. The species Papaver orientale grows naturally from north-eastern Turkey to the Caucasus and northern Iran, in regions with cold winters and dry summers. 'Picotee' forms a clump of greyish-green basal leaves in spring, deeply dissected and covered in stiff hairs. Hairy, sparsely branched flower stems rise to 60 to 80 cm, towering over a clump that spreads 50 to 60 cm in diameter. The flower buds, initially drooping towards the ground, straighten up before opening. Between late May and June, depending on the region and the year, they release flowers measuring 10 to 15 cm in diameter. Each has four large white petals, crumpled and slightly fringed, with edges coloured pinkish-orange, salmon-orange or vermilion. The coloured area may form a simple fine line or a broad border. At the centre of the corolla, numerous almost black stamens surround a greenish capsule topped with a star-shaped disc. Each flower lasts only a few hours, but several buds follow one another on a well-established plant. The stamens attract bees and other insects that collect their pollen. After flowering, the decorative, rounded capsule-shaped fruits form, then the foliage yellows and dies back in summer. This summer dormancy allows the plant to get through the dry period; a small rosette may reform in autumn with the benefit of rain. The plant withstands cold below –20 °C. However, stagnant water in winter will rot its stump. This poppy can live for a very long time in the same spot, but its deep, brittle roots make transplanting difficult.

Plant this beautiful 'Picotee' variety in groups of three in the middle of a sunny border or in a large cottage-style bed. It forms a superb duo with the Oriental poppy 'Royal Wedding', whose large flowers are white with black macules. At their feet, the hardy geranium 'Brookside' will spread its blue flowers and foliage when the poppies enter dormancy. A few snapdragons 'Royal Bride', with their white spikes, will take over during the summer. You can keep a few poppy capsules after flowering: once dry, they can be used in dried flower arrangements.