Papaver paeoniflorum

‘Danish Flag’

DANISH FLAG POPPIES

Syn. P. somniferum cv. paeoniflorum

No TAS

Papaver paeoniflorum ‘Danish Flag
DANISH FLAG POPPIES

Syn. Papaver somniferum cv. paeoniflorum

Papaver paeoniflorum ‘Danish Flag’ should surely be a favourite with Tasmanian born Mary Donaldson, now Queen Consort of Denmark.
Not permitted for Tasmania

Danish flags fluttering in the breeze

Fabulously large, frilly edged, single poppies, like bowls of silk.
With red petals marked with a broad white cross in the centre – just like the Danish Flag.
Dazzlingly beautiful.

Shredded edges to the huge petals

‘Danish Flag’ blooms have frilled and deeply cut petals that look like they have been shredded – lovely.
While the silvery blue-green foliage elegantly sets off the outstanding red and white blooms – lovely again.

Very reliable each year

Papaver paeoniflorum are very reliable self-seeding annuals.
So once you have some starter plants in the garden – you can look forward to more of the showy beauties queening it over the garden each spring and early summer, with no further help from you.

Wonderfully rewarding for no work

Plants of Papaver paeoniflorum ‘Danish Flag’ are very low-maintenance, and happy to just get on with it by themselves.
They relish sun, are tolerant of frost, and soundly drought resistant, water-wise plants.
Though they will also thrive in a little light shade.

Happily scatter their progeny for next year

If you would like more dazzling ‘Danish Flag’ flowers for next year – just leave a few fat seed pods to dry on the stalks, and they will unzip and happily scatter their progeny for next season.

Or you can cut some seed pods as they start to zip open, pop them into a brown paper bag to drop their seeds, and then scatter the seed in new garden places. Or share with friends too.
Some low tech gardeners even just pull out the spent stalks with pods, lay the dried stalks on the ground as a mulch, and let them drop seed for next year where placed.

Super cut flowers

Both the fresh flowers and the dried seed pods of  Papaver paeoniflorum ‘Danish Flag’ make super cut flowers for floristry vases.

Water-wise

Plant Papaver paeoniflorum ‘Danish Flag’ in Full Sun or a little Light Shade.
Peony Poppies, in their many variations, are native to areas around Turkey and the eastern Mediterranean, so they are all well adapted to places with hot and dry summers, and are happy to return each year.

Easily pleased in a wide range of soils

Plus they are not fussy about soil types, favouring anything from sandy, gravel, rocky to good garden loam and also enriched clay based soils.
So all Peony Poppies are particularly easily pleased.

Rabbit & deer resistant

Rabbits and deer steer clear of Peony Poppies because of the alkaloids contained within the plant.
So your Poppy show will always be untouched.
But do not worry – these are garden hybrids, without the high concentration of opiates found in commercial poppy crops for the pharmaceutical industry. These are perfectly polite and legal garden plants.

Pollinator magnets

Bees, butterflies and pollinators love foraging amongst the nectar rich centres, and find a bountiful supply of food.

Obligingly Quick & Easy from seed

Papaver paeoniflorum seeds give instant gardener gratification, because they are so quick & easy to grow (approx. 20 weeks from sowing the seed to full flower).
Then of course they just do it themselves each year after.

Simply scatter seed directly in the garden

So they are perfect candidates for simply scattering seeds in the garden where you want them to grow.

Or start early indoors

But if you are starting the seeds indoors, for early flowers and highest potential germination rate (I hate sharing my seed babies with birds, mice, slugs and snails) – then make sure you sow the seed in deeper pots, rather than shallow punnets.
Because Papaver tend to grow long roots quickly and resent being disturbed.

Sow in deep pots or compostable jiffy pots

So sow your seeds as a scant pinch into individual deep pots.
Composting Jiffy Pots are also brilliant for poppies, as you just plant the whole pot and contents out with no root disturbance at all.
And then let the roots grow out through the composting Jiffy Pot.
Plant the seedlings out in the garden by the pot full (don’t worry they germinate in lush abundance).

90cm. High in spectacular summer flower x 20cm. Wide of lovely silver-blue lettuce like leaves.

SEED SOWING ADVICE: QUICK & EASY

Suitable for beginners & gardening with kids

Sow seeds of Papaver paeoniflorum ‘Danish Flag’ at any time in deep pots or jiffy pots indoors / or scatter directly in the garden in autumn or spring-early summer.

 Sow indoors for quick & early plants: First sow the fine seed thinly onto the surface of good quality seed raising mix.

Then press the seeds gently into surface to ensure good contact, but do not cover with mix.
As these seeds germinate better with light.

Sowing Tip for Poppies: Papaver seed is very fine. So finely sieve some seed raising mix into the bag containing your seed. Then shake around and sow the whole contents of the bag. This will pick up and separate the fine seed and help to sow it thinly.

Because the seedlings resent being transplanted, it is best to use deeper tube pots or jiffy pots, and scatter a tiny pinch of seed into each.
Then you can plant each pot with its little flock of Poppies straight into the garden by the pot full, without disturbing them by pricking them out and separating.

Then place your sown pots in a well-lit, warm position to germinate (not in direct sun).
Because these seeds are easy to germinate, so a warm, well lit corner or window sill is fine.

Keep the pots moist but not wet in a well-lit position.

Temperatures of 16-22°C are optimum for rapid germination.
And papaver paeoniflorum seeds are aided by experiencing the temperature fluctuations of night and day.

Then seed germinates in 5-20 days approx.

Seed Count: 100 seeds per pack approx.
(We always aim to exceed the stated seed count, and give a generous serve).

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