Papaver orientale Pattys Plum - Oriental Poppy

Papaver orientale 'Patty's Plum' is an unusual variety of Oriental Poppy, with large flowers with brown-purple macules that seem woven from ancient silk in a soft violet-pink shade tinged with pale plum-grey reflections. They bloom in late spring, tall and proud, carried by stems that dominate a slightly disorderly, velvety, greyish-green foliage that contrasts with that of other plants in the garden. Perfectly perennial and hardy, indifferent to limestone and dry soils in summer, this poppy is easy to grow in all good garden soils, in the sun, and its flowers, picked in buds, are stunning in bouquets. Its spherical fruits with slate reflections are also very original in dried arrangements.

Papaver orientale, also called Tournefort's Poppy, is a herbaceous perennial of the Papaveraceae family, native to Asia. The 'Patty's Plum' cultivar is a rather old horticultural selection. This plant has robust, hairy stems that reach a height of about 70cm (28in). It forms a bushy clump that expands over the years. Flowering begins in early June and continues into July, usually stopped by heat and drought. Each flower stem carries a single pendulous bud at its tip, which turns upwards to give birth to a beautiful flower, about 10cm (4in) in diameter, with slightly crumpled petals. Their silky texture enhances their intermediate colour between mauve, light plum, and smoky pink, which is difficult to describe. The base of the corolla is adorned with very dark brown-purple macules, and the heart of the flower harbors a redder reflection. The flower remains open for a few hours before dropping its petals. Well-established plants produce several flower stems, ensuring flower renewal for about 3 weeks. After flowering, the foliage tends to disappear, leaving room for a small basal rosette in autumn. This is an adaptation to high temperatures and summer drought. This plant has large, rough, dissected, and hairy leaves, giving them a very decorative grey-blue hue. The fleshy and deep roots of this Oriental poppy do not tolerate transplantation well, especially in adult plants.

Oriental poppies are equally at home in sophisticated flower beds as well as in cottage gardens or rustic compositions. Their velvety and slightly disorderly foliage forms an opulent and fuzzy clump that stands out in flower beds. Combine them with mugworts, lavenders, asters, and Nepetas with light blooms. They also beautifully accompany autumn stonecrops whose foliage develops during the summer, Damask roses, and cosmos for a summer atmosphere with soft colours. In any case, pair them with perennials as they will fill the space left empty after flowering. This charming variety 'Patty's Plum' perfectly complements the chocolate leaves of Persicaria 'Red Dragon' and Carex buchanani. The Oriental poppy only fears one thing: winter moisture; in heavy soils, the solution is to replace the clay soil with coarse sand in the planting hole.

It completely disappears to enter dormancy in the middle of summer and reappears in autumn to bloom again as soon as the temperatures become milder.