Dicranostigma franchetianum - Eastern Horned Poppy seeds

Dicranostigma franchetianum is an annual or biennial plant which is rare in the horticultural trade. Related to poppies and Glaucium, it is sometimes called Yellow Poppy because of the appearance of its flowers, which are simple cups of bright yellow. They bloom during a long summer period, on branching stems emerging from beautiful foliage cut into wavy, slightly glaucous green lobes. Native to the Himalayas and China, this curious poppy prefers partial shade and light soils that remain moist, where it naturalises quite easily.

There is some confusion among botanists regarding the species Dicranostigma franchetianum, first described in 1993, due to some morphological variability. Some consider it to be the same as Dicranostigma leptopodum, which has much less significant development. It is also known as Chelidonium franchetianum. It is a herbaceous annual to biennial plant belonging to the papaveraceae family. It can be found in the Chinese provinces of Gansu, Hebei, Henan, Qinghai, Shaanxi, Sichuan, and Yunnan, growing on grassy slopes, along roadsides and fields, in wall angles and rocky embankments, up to an altitude of 2900 m (9514ft). It has low soil requirements, as long as it has some moisture and good drainage.

This fast-growing, yellow poppy reaches a height of about 60 cm (24in) in flower and 30 cm (12in) in width in a single season. This plant forms an upright clump composed of a rosette of basal leaves from which slightly leafy stems emerge. The basal leaves are large, 8 to 20 cm (3 to 8in) (or even 30 cm (12in)) long. The stem leaves are smaller, sheathing at the base. This foliage is cut into roughly toothed, bluish-green, slightly hairy lobes, with a satin-like appearance. Flowering occurs in summer, from June-July to September-October, depending on the climate and sowing date. The open cup-shaped flowers, measuring 5 cm (2in), have four silky, slightly crumpled petals in a pure and fresh lemon yellow. The centre is adorned with numerous yellow stamens and anthers. The flowers are solitary or grouped in 2 to 5 on branched stems. The flowers are followed by thin oblong and linear fruits, 4 to 7.5 cm (2 to 3in) long and 2 mm (0in) wide, containing a large number of seeds that will be dispersed by the wind.

At home in wild gardens, cottage gardens, and neglected gardens, poppies allow for the quick and effortless creation of oceans of infinitely bright flowers, moving in their simplicity and in perfect harmony with the summer light. This one prefers the moist atmosphere of a light woodland, but will also like full sun if the soil remains moist. The flowers of this yellow poppy are charming accompanied by Fatsia, Brunnera, or Corydalis in partial shade, as well as all kinds of wild perennials in sunny borders and beds. This annual plant, like cosmos, is unrivalled in its ability to cover embankments around new constructions, open spaces between annuals or late-flowering tall perennials such as helianthus, grasses, daisies, heleniums, or asters. It naturalises quite easily by self-seeding, sometimes in unexpected places.