Oriental poppy

plant

Also known as: Papaver orientale

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Last updated

July 23, 2026

Quick Summary

The Oriental poppy (Papaver orientale) is an Asian perennial plant commonly cultivated for its large, showy flowers. Poppies, in general, belong to the poppy family, Papaveraceae, and are often found in the Northern Hemisphere, with several species grown as garden ornamentals.12

Poppies are characterized by their lobed or dissected leaves and milky sap. Their flowers typically have four to six petals and numerous stamens surrounding the ovary, which develops into a spherical capsule containing many small seeds. The Oriental poppy, native to the Middle East, produces large scarlet, salmon, pink, white, or red blooms on long-lived perennial plants.2

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poppy
Major Papaver species
The Oriental poppy (P. orientale), native to the Middle East, has 15-cm (6-inch) scarlet, salmon, pink, white, or red blooms on 1.2-metre- (4-foot-) tall long-lived perennial plants. The white-and-red or white-and-pink Shirley poppy is an annual variety developed from the corn poppy (P. rhoeas). The long-headed…
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The Oriental poppy (P. orientale), native to the Middle East, has 15-cm (6-inch) scarlet, salmon, pink, white, or red blooms on 1.2-metre- (4-foot-) tall long-lived perennial plants. The white-and-red or white-and-pink Shirley poppy is an annual variety developed from the corn poppy (P. rhoeas). The long-headed…
Read More