Hungarian Blue

SKU: FL1225

Hungarian Blue poppies produce elegant purple flowers atop tall, strong stems. From flower bud to seed pod stages, they are highly ornamental, and grow to around 60cm (24") tall. Save the dried seed pods for arrangements, and empty out the edible seeds for use in breads and spreads. Read More

Exposure Full-sun to partial shade

Average Seeds Per Gram 2653 ?

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Product Details

Papaver somniferum. Hungarian Blue poppies produce elegant purple flowers atop tall, strong stems. From flower bud to seed pod stages, they are highly ornamental, and grow to around 60cm (24") tall. Save the dried seed pods for arrangements, and empty out the edible seeds for use in breads and spreads. The fleeting flowers only last a day or two, but they keep appearing over several weeks, and they look spectacular in mass plantings. Hungarian is highly attractive to bees, but resistant to grazing deer.

Annual.

Quick Facts:

Papaver somniferum seeds
8cm (3") wide flowers
Deer resistant
Annual

All About Hungarian Blue

Latin

Latin
Papaver nudicaule (perennial), P. rhoeas & P. somniferum (both annual)
Family: Papaveraceae

Difficulty

Difficulty
Easy

Season & Zone

Season & Zone
Exposure: Full sun to partial shade
Zone: P. nudicaule is hardy to Zone 3

Timing

Timing
Start perennial poppies outdoors in early spring, when some chance of frost is still a possibility. Start annual varieties outdoors at the same time in Zones 3-7. In Zones 8-10, the best bet is to direct sow in the fall.

Poppies are famously difficult to transplant, so starting them indoors is not recommended. If absolutely necessary, use peat or coir pots, and maintain a soil temperature of 12°C (55°F). Seeds will sprout in 20-30 days.

Starting

Starting
Sow on the surface of the soil, or barely cover seeds. Thin to a minimum of 15cm (6″) apart.

Growing

Growing
Poppies are easy to grow and the self-sow with abandon, without becoming weedy. Simply pull up unwanted plants (an easy task) before they bloom, or better yet, let them tell you where they want to grow. They will thrive for years at a time in surprising spots, like a crack in the driveway. Other times, they simply won’t take, no matter how much you try. Keep them moderately well watered in hot, dry weather, and do not fertilize.

For the largest heads on Papaver somniferum, sow seeds in the fall or early winter. Thin plants to allow them some space, and keep the area weeded as plants grow larger. Grow this variety in full sun in well-drained, but ordinary garden soil. If spring and summer are cool and damp, or plants are over-crowded, expect smaller seed heads.

How to Grow Poppies

Step 1

Timing

Start perennial poppies outdoors in early spring, when some chance of frost is still a possibility. Start annual varieties outdoors at the same time in Zones 3-7. In Zones 8-10, the best bet is to direct sow in the fall.

Step 2

Starting

Sow on the surface of the soil, or barely cover seeds. Thin to a minimum of 15cm (6″) apart.

Step 3

Growing

Poppies are easy to grow and the self-sow with abandon, without becoming weedy. Simply pull up unwanted plants (an easy task) before they bloom, or better yet, let them tell you where they want to grow. They will thrive for years at a time in surprising spots, like a crack in the driveway. Other times, they simply won’t take, no matter how much you try. Keep them moderately well watered in hot, dry weather, and do not fertilize.

For the largest heads on Papaver somniferum: Sow seeds in the fall or early winter. Thin plants to allow them some space, and keep the area weeded as plants grow larger. Grow this variety in full sun in well-drained, but ordinary garden soil. If spring and summer are cool and damp, or plants are over-crowded, expect smaller seed heads.