Opium Poppy Purple Peony Seeds - Papaver somniferum

The Opium Poppy also called Papaver somniferum 'Purple Peony' is a unique variety. The extreme doubleness of the flowers and their undefinable hue, a simply sumptuous mixture, rich with lilac colour tinged with old pink, make this a spectacular and unique annual poppy. They are borne on sturdy stems emerging from a very ornamental, silver-green foliage. This variety is easy to sow directly outside and will thrive in the sun and in light, well-prepared soil. 

The opium poppy 'Purple Peony' is a horticultural variety, belonging to the Papaveraceae or poppy family. It is derived from Papaver somniferum var. nigrum, which is found in the mountains of Asia, but also in Europe, on limestone soils where poppies usually grow. This plant, which probably originated in the regions between the Mediterranean and Anatolia, has given rise to a multitude of varieties that have long been cultivated for ornamental purposes.

'Purple Peony' displays magnificent, undulating, silvery green foliage with beautifully lobed, elliptical leaves with scalloped margins. From its 30 to 45 cm wide clump of foliage, tall stems sprout up from June to August, bearing irresistible, solitary flowers, 80 cm above the ground. They are very double, being made up of countless petals tightly packed together into a pompom nuanced with shades of mauve, lilac, old pink and crimson. Summer blooms give way to a characteristic fruit, filled with small very ornamental black seeds which take on a slate blue sheen as it dries. Their aspect changes with the light because of the film of crystallized wax that protects their surfaces. Opium poppies have a taproot that is not very resistant to transplanting, so it is best to sow them in place. 

Comfortable in sophisticated gardens, in medieval-type gardens and gardens without gardeners, opium poppies make it possible to quickly and effortlessly create oceans of infinitely delicate flowers that seem to dance on the silvery foam of their foliage, creating a stirring spectacle of vivid, dark or pastel colours. Although they are not very long-lasting in bouquets, the flowers of the opium poppy 'Purple Peony' are extremely charming when planted in large groups, in front of tall daisies, the moving strands of grasses or in pots on the patio. This annual plant, like the cosmos, has no equivalent for occupying the open sunny spaces between annuals or large perennials such as Helianthus, whose flowers take over later in the season. 

Once the flowering period is over, the fruit remains providing a precious asset for dry bouquets, but also the poppy straw, which is often perceived in more wild areas as a majestic element of the garden or a somewhat enigmatic remnant of summer.