Welsh poppy

Welsh poppy: how do you recognise it?

Habit

Loose, clump-forming perennial, 30–40 cm high and 30 cm wide. It is short-lived, but renews itself by seed.

Foliage

Fresh green, deeply lobed, in a rosette at the base; paler underneath.

Flower

Four-petalled, paper-thin flowers of 5–7 cm on slender stalks, from May to September.

Colour

Bright yellow or orange; double forms such as ‘Flore Pleno’ also exist.

Fruit

A slender, ribbed capsule that opens through pores at the top and scatters the fine seed.

Roots

A branching taproot. That is why it moves best as a young seedling.

Flowering: May–September · Sowing: March–April and September · Plants: March–April and September–October · Pruning: March and July–August

Why grow it?

• Flowers for a long time, from May to September, with sunny yellow or orange blooms in the shade.
• Does well in partial shade, under shrubs and along tree edges where little else flowers.
• Bees collect pollen from it: poppies offer no nectar, but plenty of pollen.
• Seeds itself and fills gaps without much work from you.
• Hardy down to about −25 °C and easy-going.

Welsh poppy: where does it grow best?

• Partial or light shade; in full sun it needs more water and tires sooner.
• Humus-rich, moisture-retentive but free-draining soil: sand, loam or clay, acid to chalky.
• Normally moist soil; it likes cool, fresh spots.
• Allow 30 cm between plants. It seeds itself, so space is rarely a problem.

Light

Partial shade and shade

Soil type

Sand, loam or clay

Acidity

Not fussy

Moisture

Normal

Size

0.4 m tall, 0.3 m wide

Hardiness

Hardy (to -25 °C)

Goes well with

• Ferns: Their fresh foliage suits the same partial shade and makes a calm backdrop.
• Cranesbill: Blue-purple flowers beside the yellow and orange, also in partial shade.
• Lady’s mantle: Soft yellow-green flowers and cushion-like leaves around the poppies.
• Hosta: Big leaves at the base keep the soil cool and make a good contrast.

Welsh poppy: when and how to plant it?

Plant in March–April and September–October.

1. Plant in March–April or September–October, in loose, humus-rich soil.
2. Dig a hole big enough for the root ball and mix in a spadeful of compost.
3. Set the rosette at the same level as in the pot, with the top of the root ball level with the soil.
4. Keep 30 cm between plants and firm the soil.
5. Water in at once and keep the soil lightly moist in the first season.
6. Lay a thin layer of leaf mould around the plant to keep the soil cool.

Care

Water

Water during long dry spells, especially in sunny spots. In normal summers it needs little.

Feeding

A spadeful of compost in spring is enough.

Mulching

A layer of leaf mould keeps the soil cool and moist.

Deadheading

Cut off faded stems: it flowers for longer and seeds itself less.

Seedlings

Pull or hoe out unwanted seedlings while they are small, because the taproot soon goes deep.

Support

Not needed: the slender stalks are strong enough for the flowers.

Tip: Pull out unwanted seedlings while they are small: the taproot makes them hard to move later. Let a few seed pods ripen if you want to keep the plant, because old plants are short-lived.

Welsh poppy: when to prune it?

Pruning months: March and July–August.

When: Cut off faded flowers regularly, from May. After the main flowering in July–August you can cut the plant back, and in March you clear away dead foliage.

How:

• Cut faded stems down to the leaf rosette, before the seed pods ripen.
• If the plant looks scruffy in late summer, cut it back by half for fresh foliage and a little late flowering.
• In March, remove dead or brown leaves and let a few flowers self-seed if you want new plants.
• Wear gloves: the yellow sap can irritate the skin of sensitive people.

Caution: If you let all the seed pods ripen, the garden will be full of seedlings.

Pruning: when and how · Pruning calendar and basic rules

Propagation

Seed

In March–April or September, sow directly where it is to grow. Scatter the seed on the surface, firm it and do not cover it: it needs light to germinate. Thin to 30 cm.

Moving seedlings

Young seedlings can be moved in spring with a good root ball while the taproot is still short. Older plants move badly.

Welsh poppy: how does it get through the winter?

Hardy to −25 °C.

• Hardy down to about −25 °C: no protection is needed in Belgium.
• In severe frost the foliage may die back; the plant regrows in spring or returns from seed.
• In a pot it suits partial shade; in severe frost stand the pot against a wall.

Diseases and pests

• Seedlings everywhere: It self-seeds strongly. Cut off faded flowers and pull out seedlings you do not want.
• Downy mildew: Yellow patches on the leaves and grey fuzz underneath in damp weather. Remove affected leaves and leave air between plants.
• Aphids: On young shoots in spring. Rinse them off with water or let the ladybirds do the work.
• Slugs: They eat young seedlings and leaves in a wet spring. Pick them off in the evening.

Through the year

• March: Sow where it is to grow. Clear dead foliage. Plant.
• April: Sow and plant. Thin seedlings.
• May: Flowering begins.
• June: Flowering. Cut off faded stems.
• July: Flowering. Cut back after the main flush if the plant gets scruffy.
• August: Late flowers. Water in dry weather.
• September: Last flowers. Sow and plant.
• October: Plant. Move seedlings.

Edible and useful

Not edible. All parts of these poppies are poisonous, especially the milky sap and the unripe seed heads: they contain alkaloids that cause nausea, vomiting, stomach ache and drowsiness if swallowed, in children as well as in dogs, cats and grazing livestock. They are not opium poppies: the poppy seed from the bakery comes from the opium poppy (Papaver somniferum), and the seed of these poppies is not eaten. Do not make tea from the flowers or seed heads, and hang dried arrangements with seed heads out of children’s reach. The sap can irritate the skin: wear gloves when cutting flowers for the vase, and keep the vase out of reach of small children and cats. If any is swallowed, call a poison centre (in Belgium 070 245 245) or your doctor at once.

Good for wildlife

Bees

Nectar and pollen for honeybees and wild bees.

Did you know?

• Cambrica comes from Cambria, the Latin name for Wales.
• As Meconopsis cambrica it was the only species of its genus found outside Asia; the famous blue Himalayan poppies belong to the same genus.
• Poppies have no nectar, but offer bees plenty of pollen.