Share your pictures? Hide split images
I have read and agree the terms and conditions of service.

Opium Poppy Seriously Scarlet Seeds - Papaver somniferum

Papaver somniferum var.nigrum Seriously Scarlet
Peony Poppy, Paeony Flowered Poppy

Be the first to leave a review

Why not try an alternative variety in stock?

  1. 6
    1,90 € Seeds

  2. 1
    3,50 € Seeds

  3. 41
    2,50 € Seeds

  4. 17
    6,50 € Seeds

  5. 43
    2,50 € Seeds

Shipping country:

Select delivery date,

and select date in basket

This plant carries a 6 months recovery warranty

More information

There is something very dramatic about this new poppy. This opium poppy displays double scarlet flowers with fringed edges and dark purple blue centres surrounded by collars of white stamens. 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, in light, well-prepared soil.
Flower size
10 cm
Height at maturity
90 cm
Exposure
Sun
Annual / Perennial
Annual
Germination time (days)
10 days
plantfit-full

Would this plant suit my garden?

Set up your Plantfit profile →

Sowing period February to April
J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Flowering time June to August
J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D

Description

Opium Poppy or Papaver somniferum Seriously Scarlet is a glowing even dramatic, new poppy. All summer long, it displays double, scarlet flowers with fringed edges and dark purple-blue centres surrounded by a collar of white stamens. They are borne on sturdy stems emerging from very ornamental, silver-green foliage. This easy to sow and grow variety is superb planted in large groups along walkways or in borders. It thrives in well-prepared, light soils, in the sun.

Out of stock for the season, it can easily be replaced by the variety Red Pom Pom's.

 

The opium poppy 'Seriously Scarlet' 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.

'Seriously Scarlet' 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, 90 cm stems sprout up from June to August, bearing irresistible, solitary flowers. They are double, widely open and formed of slightly frayed petals similar to silky, deep red, ragged cloth. The centre of the flower is spotted with dark purple-blue and is adorned with a collar of white stamens around a yellow disc. 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 'Seriously Scarlet' are extremely charming when planted in large groups, in front of tall daisies or the moving blades of ornamental grasses. 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. 

Flowering

Flower colour red
Flowering time June to August
Inflorescence Solitary
Flower size 10 cm

Foliage

Foliage persistence Annual
Foliage colour green

Plant habit

Height at maturity 90 cm
Spread at maturity 45 cm
Growth rate normal

Botanical data

Genus

Papaver

Species

somniferum var.nigrum

Cultivar

Seriously Scarlet

Family

Papaveraceae

Other common names

Peony Poppy, Paeony Flowered Poppy

Origin

Cultivar or hybrid

Other Poppy seeds

  1. 6
    1,90 € Seeds

  2. Out of stock
    3,90 € Seeds

  3. 17
    6,50 € Seeds

  4. 20
    4,90 € Seeds

  5. 1
    3,50 € Seeds

  6. Out of stock
    3,90 € Seeds

  7. Out of stock
    1,90 € Seeds

  8. 34
    4,50 € Seeds

  9. 34
    2,40 € Seeds

  10. 32
    2,50 € Seeds

  11. 20
    2,20 € Seeds

  12. 43
    2,50 € Seeds

  13. 33
    4,50 € Seeds

  14. 11
    5,90 € Seeds

  15. Out of stock
    3,90 € Seeds

  16. 116
    -50% 1,25 € 2,50 € Seeds

Planting and care

Sow opium poppy 'Seriously Scarlet' seeds directly outdoors, in spring or autumn. Choose a location in full sun with fertile, well-drained soil that has been well loosened beforehand. Sow the fine seeds just below the soil's surface. Water regularly, especially during dry periods. Germination usually takes 7 to 14 days. When the poppy seedlings are sufficiently large enough to be handled, thin them out to 30 cm apart.

Garden poppies should not run out of water or food in the summer. They self-seed freely in the garden. Cut off spent flowers if you wish to avoid spontaneous seedlings. Even if they prefer light, loamy soils, annual poppies are undemanding plants that adapt to most well-prepared soils. Their seeds retain their germinating power for a long time, and it is not uncommon for seedlings to emerge years after a 'failed' sowing as a result of digging up the soil.

Important note: all poppies are poisonous. However, seeds produced by the species P. somniferum and P. paeoniflorum can be eaten. In general, the seeds are used in bakery recipes (breads, cakes...).

Sowing period

Sowing period February to April
Germination time (days) 10 days

Intended location

Suitable for Meadow, Rockery
Type of use Border
Ease of cultivation Beginner
Exposure Sun
Soil pH Neutral, Calcareous
Soil moisture Dry soil, Moist soil, Travaillé en profondeur, sableux

This item has not been reviewed yet - be the first to leave a review about it.

Leave a review →

Flower seeds

  1. 19
    5,90 € Seeds

  2. 14
    4,50 € Seeds

  3. 16
    1,90 € Seeds

  4. 10
    5,90 € Seeds

  5. 22
    9,50 € Seeds

  6. 16
    1,90 € Seeds

  7. 2
    2,40 € Seeds

  8. 12
    4,50 € Seeds

  9. 36
    9,50 € Seeds

  10. 9
    4,90 € Seeds

  11. 15
    2,50 € Seeds

  12. 17
    3,20 € Seeds

  13. 20
    2,50 € Seeds

  14. Out of stock
    6,50 € Seeds

  15. 55
    3,50 € Seeds

  16. 35
    -50% 2,45 € 4,90 € Seeds

Haven't found what you were looking for?