Papaver orientale 'Orange Glow'

The 'Orange Glow' Oriental Poppy is a variety of Oriental poppy that stands out with its orange flowering. Long stems emerge from the foliage from June, each carrying a large flower. The corollas are bright orange with a dark centre that contrasts beautifully. The flowers are also enhanced by their cut and hairy foliage. The Oriental poppy is a perennial plant that is easy to grow in all good deep soils, in full sun.

The Poppy or Papaver is a member of the Papaveraceae family, which includes 42 genera and 775 species, many of which are beautiful flowers. Several of them share the name Poppy, such as Eschscholzia californica (California Poppy, annual) or the Blue Himalayan Poppy (Meconopsis betonicifolia) with unreal blue flowers. The Oriental Poppy, or Tournefort's Poppy, is a perennial plant native to Asia Minor, introduced to France in the early 18th century. The botanical species grows from the Caucasus to Iran, passing through Turkey, forming perennial clumps, with above-ground parts dying in winter and reappearing in spring. Each wild plant develops a few hairy stems from a compact clump of cut leaves, each carrying a solitary flower. With a diameter of 10 to 15 cm (4 to 6in), the flower is formed by 4 to 6 petals, primarily red, sometimes white, orange, or lavender. Starting in late May, the flowering is interrupted in July by the heat prevailing in these regions.
The 'Orange Glow' Oriental Poppy is a horticultural variety that stands out with its bright orange colour. This perennial forms a large rosette of elongated leaves measuring 15 to 25 cm (6 to 10in). They are deeply cut, hairy, and medium green to grey-green. Long flowering stems develop from the dense foliage clump in late spring, June and July and rise to 80 cm (32in) above the ground. A large flower measuring 10 to 12 cm (4 to 5in) in diameter then blooms at the end of each stem. The semi-double corolla is formed by slightly crumpled petals, which gives it an undeniable natural charm. It displays a beautiful orange colour, light and bright in the centre and slightly darker at the tips of the petals. The heart of the flower, consisting of the stigmas surrounded by a crown of stamens, is dark, creating an exciting contrast of tones.

The 'Orange Glow' Oriental Poppy is a border perennial that bridges the gap between spring and summer flowering. As its foliage disappears during hot weather, pairing it with other perennial flowers or shrubs to frame its flowering is wise. For spring, opt for Iris germanica, a reliable plant that offers you all the colours the plant palette can provide, thanks to an almost infinite range. Less known, the Asphodeline lutea or Jacob's Staff, is a perennial that thrives in dry soils and produces yellow star-shaped flowers in April-May. To extend the flowering period into summer, plant Achillea clypeolata, a perennial with beautiful silver-grey cut foliage that produces umbels of bright yellow flowers from June to September.