peacock poppy

plant

Also known as: Papaver pavoninum

Written by

The Information Architects of Encyclopaedia Britannica

Last updated

July 1, 2026

Quick Summary

The peacock poppy (Papaver pavoninum) is an annual plant native to Central Asia. It is characterized by scarlet petals, each featuring a dark spot at its base, and grows on plants about 30 cm (12 inches) tall. The peacock poppy belongs to the poppy family, Papaveraceae, which includes various species cultivated for ornamental purposes and for their medicinal or culinary seeds.12

It is important to note that "peacock flower" is another name for the royal poinciana tree, and "peacock iris" refers to a South African herb with orange-red flowers. These are distinct from the peacock poppy.34

Summary created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.

5 Britannica Sources

Ask Britannica AI about this topic

Britannica doesn't have a full article on this topic, so we've curated a list of our relevant coverage.

poppy
Major Papaver species
The peacock poppy (P. pavoninum)—with scarlet petals bearing a dark spot at the base in 2.5-cm (1-inch) blooms on 30-cm- (12-inch-) tall plants—is an annual from Central Asia.
Read More
The peacock poppy (P. pavoninum)—with scarlet petals bearing a dark spot at the base in 2.5-cm (1-inch) blooms on 30-cm- (12-inch-) tall plants—is an annual from Central Asia.
Read More