The Iceland Poppy (
Papaver nudicaule syn.
Papaver croceum, P. amurense, P. miyabeanum, and
P. macounii) is a
borealBoreal may refer to*Boreal ecosystem**Boreal climate, the climate found in a region of boreal forests, and designated Dfc, Dwc or Dsc in the Köppen climate classification scheme.*Boreal Forest of Canada*Boreal owl...
flowering plant. Native to subpolar regions of northern Europe and North America,
IcelandThe Republic of Iceland is a European island country located in the North Atlantic Ocean. It has a population of about 320,000 and a total area of 103,000 km². Its capital and largest city is Reykjavík, whose surrounding area is home to approximately two thirds of the national population...
poppiesA poppy is any of a number of colorful flowers, typically withone per stem, belonging to the poppy family. They include a number of attractive wildflower species with colorful flowers found growing singularly or in large groups; many species are also grown in gardens...
are hardy but short-lived
perennialsA perennial plant or perennial is a plant that lives for more than two years. When used by gardeners or horticulturalists, this term applies specifically to perennial herbaceous plants...
,grown as
biennialsA biennial plant is a flowering plant that takes two years to complete its biological lifecycle. In the first year the plant grows leaves, stems, and roots , then it enters a period of dormancy over the colder months. Usually the stem remains very short and the leaves are low to the ground, forming...
, that yield large, papery, bowl-shaped, lightly fragrant flowers supported by hairy, 1-foot, curved stems among feathery blue-green foliage 1-6 inches long.
The Iceland Poppy (
Papaver nudicaule syn.
Papaver croceum, P. amurense, P. miyabeanum, and
P. macounii) is a
borealBoreal may refer to*Boreal ecosystem**Boreal climate, the climate found in a region of boreal forests, and designated Dfc, Dwc or Dsc in the Köppen climate classification scheme.*Boreal Forest of Canada*Boreal owl...
flowering plant. Native to subpolar regions of northern Europe and North America,
IcelandThe Republic of Iceland is a European island country located in the North Atlantic Ocean. It has a population of about 320,000 and a total area of 103,000 km². Its capital and largest city is Reykjavík, whose surrounding area is home to approximately two thirds of the national population...
poppiesA poppy is any of a number of colorful flowers, typically withone per stem, belonging to the poppy family. They include a number of attractive wildflower species with colorful flowers found growing singularly or in large groups; many species are also grown in gardens...
are hardy but short-lived
perennialsA perennial plant or perennial is a plant that lives for more than two years. When used by gardeners or horticulturalists, this term applies specifically to perennial herbaceous plants...
,grown as
biennialsA biennial plant is a flowering plant that takes two years to complete its biological lifecycle. In the first year the plant grows leaves, stems, and roots , then it enters a period of dormancy over the colder months. Usually the stem remains very short and the leaves are low to the ground, forming...
, that yield large, papery, bowl-shaped, lightly fragrant flowers supported by hairy, 1-foot, curved stems among feathery blue-green foliage 1-6 inches long. They were first described by botanists in 1759. The wild species blooms in white or yellow, and is hardy from USDA Zones 3a-10b. All parts of this plant are likely to be poisonous, containing (like all poppies) toxic
alkaloidsAlkaloids are naturally occurring chemical compounds containing basic nitrogen atoms. The name derives from the word alkaline and was used to describe any nitrogen-containing base. Alkaloids are produced by a large variety of organisms, including bacteria, fungi, plants, and animals and are part of...
. In particular,
P. nudicaule has been shown to contain the benzophenanthidine alkaloid, chelidonine.
Varieties
CultivarA cultivar is a cultivated plant that has been selected and given a unique name because of desired characteristics; it is usually distinct from similar plants and when propagated it retains those characteristics....
s come in shades of yellow, orange, salmon, rose, pink, cream and white as well as bi-colored varieties. Seed strains include: ‘Champagne Bubbles’ (15-inch plants in orange, pink, scarlet, apricot, yellow, and creamy-white); ‘Wonderland’ (10-inch dwarf strain with flowers up to 4 inches wide); ‘Flamenco’ (pink shades, bordered white, 1 1/2 to 2 feet tall); ‘Party Fun’ (to 1 foot, said to bloom reliably the first year in autumn and the second spring); ‘Illumination’ and ‘Meadow Pastels’ (to 2 feet, perhaps the tallest strains); ‘Matador’ (scarlet flowers to 5 inches across on 16 inch plants); and ‘Oregon Rainbows’, which has large selfed, bicolor, and picoteed flowers and is perhaps the best strain for the cool Pacific Northwest (elsewhere this strain’s buds frequently fail to open).
Cultivation
The plants prefer light, well-drained soil and full sun, but the plants are not hardy in hot weather, perishing within a season in hot summer climates.
Iceland poppies, like all poppies, possess exceedingly minute seeds and long taproots that resent disturbance. So the seeds are best sown outdoors in autumn (or, at the very latest, in earliest spring) where you wish them to grow, in a reasonably well-drained soil. In mild winter climates, start Iceland poppy seeds indoors and transplant seedlings into their desired positions when they are 2-4 inches tall. The strongest plants are autumn-sown. In cool summer climates on well-drained soils, Iceland poppies can live 2-3 seasons, flowering from early spring to fall .
To germinate Iceland poppy seed inside, fill peat or paper pots with barely moistened sowing medium. Contrary to many books’ advice, it is not necessary to give them cold-treatment; Dr. Norm Deno’s experiments with Iceland poppy seeds showed that they germinate readily at 70ºF. Just press the seeds into the surface of the soil, sprinkle a small amount of sand or vermiculite over them, and spritz to moisten. Don’t let the pots dry out (try placing each peat or paper pot in a plastic bag, loosely tying the bag shut at the top or half-zipping it closed, to allow the medium to breathe). Place the pots in a warm spot out of direct sunlight, otherwise their contents will cook; if you have a heat mat, it will hasten germination. When the seedlings show, move the pots into the best light you can give them until the ground can be worked in spring. Do give them plenty of room: 9-12 inches apart. Crowding will give you spindly plants.
If you decide to confine your poppies to pots ('Champagne Bubbles' is a good strain for this), be sure to use a well-drained medium. Keep seedlings evenly moist, but once the plants get 4 inches or so tall, water only when the surface of the soil is dry to the depth of your first knuckle. Fertilize weekly with a plant food that is not too high in nitrogen (such as 5-10-5). Inside or out, when your plants begin to bloom, remove the fading flower-stems at the base, for if you let the plants go to seed, it will greatly reduce their longevity.
Iceland poppies are amongst the best poppies for cutting, lasting several days in the vase if they are cut just before the buds open and the stem-ends are seared for ten seconds in a flame or boiling water so that their white latex doesn’t leak out. They come in reds oranges, and yellows.
Genetics of iceland poppy
The garden forms of
P. nudicaule have been studied genetically, particularly with respect to flower colour. The white flower colour is dominant with respect to yellow. Other colours, such as buff and orange, are recessive.