Oriental Poppy Red Rumble - Papaver orientale

Papaver orientale Red Rumble is a variety of Oriental Poppy with a very special red colour. It develops flowers with numerous layers of frilly petals, superbly satin-like, in a deep crimson red shade. Four velvety black spots at the center of each flower complete the dark stamen center. Resistant to diseases, it is rather compact and maintains its green and healthy foliage for a long time while its sturdy stems remain upright as the flowers are particularly large. It prefers a sheltered spot in full sun, planted in well-draining and fertile soil. Its flowers are superb in bouquets when picked in bud.

The Red Rumble Poppy is a horticultural selection created by Herbert Oudshoorn, a small Dutch breeder. This plant comes from Papaver orientale, a herbaceous perennial from the Papaveraceae family, native to Asia. This variety develops robust flowering stems 90 cm tall at maturity and forms a clump of foliage thickening over the years. Flowering occurs in May-June, before the arrival of summer heat and drought. Each hairy floral stem carries at its end a single pendant bud turning towards the sky to give rise to a large, 15 to 20 cm in diameter flower, composed of crinkled petals arranged in 2 rows. The petals bear 4 black spots at the centre, due to the high concentration of red pigment. The flower remains open for a few hours before dropping its petals. Well-established plants produce several flowering stems, ensuring flower renewal for about 3 weeks. After flowering, the foliage tends to disappear, making way for a small basal rosette in Autumn, which is characteristic of an adaptation to high temperatures and summer drought. The foliage consists of broad, rough, medium green, cut leaves, covered with hairs that give them a very decorative sheen. The fleshy and deep roots of this Oriental poppy do not tolerate transplanting well, especially in mature plants.

Oriental poppies blend well in elegant beds as well as in cottage gardens or rustic compositions. Their foliage forms a lush clump that stands out in beds. The Red Rumble variety pairs beautifully with the tall stems of white lupins ('West Country Polar Princess white') or pink ('The Chatelaine Rose'), as well as with the silvery foliage of Stachys byzantina, lavenders, daisies, and thistles. They also elegantly accompany border roses, love-in-a-mist, and cosmos, to create a soft summer atmosphere. When designing your bed, keep in mind that the foliage of this poppy disappears during the summer.