Sow these poppies in your garden now and they'll sprout when the weather warms up in spring.

Published on September 10, 2025

Credit:

Mike_Pellinni / Getty Images

Poppies always look stunning in gardens, but can be tricky to plant because they don't like root disturbance. And they can be challenging to start from seeds indoors as you would do with many other flower seeds. You can solve both problems by sowing poppy seeds outdoors in late fall to very early spring. Once they've been exposed to cold, damp conditions long enough, they'll sprout and start growing without you having to do much of anything.

Some poppies are annuals and some are perennials. Many of the annual types will reseed, giving the impression that they are perennials. While some thrive in colder climates and others enjoy the warm summer sun, there are sure to be a few types of poppies below that fit your growing conditions.

Flanders Poppy

Credit:

Matthew Benson

Also known by the names red poppy, corn poppy, and common poppy, Flanders poppies (Papaver rhoeas) are the red flowers made famous by the World War I poem, In Flanders Fields. Commonly a symbol of remembrance, they thrive in disturbed soil and were found blooming in the freshly bare earth amid the destruction of the war. These annual wildflowers readily self-seed and are deer-resistant.

Flanders poppies are breathtaking in a larger meadow-like planting. They grow well in full or partial sun, reaching 20-30 inches in height. 

Oriental Poppy

Credit:

Kindra Clineff

Native to central Asia, oriental poppies (Papaver orientale) are perennials that are winter-hardy in USDA Plant Hardiness Zones 3-7. They are clump-forming and reach 2-3 feet in height. Oriental poppies are commonly found in red, orange, and pink shades with dark centers. Their foliage is feathery and silvery-green, and the characteristic seed heads provide interest even after the blooms have faded. 

Good soil drainage is essential to prevent root rot. They flower best in full sun and reliably come back year after year.

Iceland Poppy

Credit:

Peter Krumhardt

As you might guess by the name, Iceland poppies (Papaver nudicaule) grow best in cooler temperatures, below 70°F. They are hardy perennials in Zones 2-7, but since they don’t do well in the heat, many people grow them as annuals or biennials. Iceland poppies bloom with delicate petals in warm hues of yellows, pinks, oranges, as well as white. 

These beauties are smaller, with the foliage growing about 12 inches tall and the flowers extending above. Bloom time is spring into early summer, and they make excellent cut flowers.

Alpine Poppy

Credit:

Bepsimage / Getty Images

This herbaceous perennial poppy (Papaver alpinum) is native to the Alps and the Pyrenees and is hardy in Zones 4-6. Delicate and smaller than the better-known oriental poppies, these poppies commonly grow only about 8 inches tall, forming a small mound of fine, feathery leaves. Their yellow, orange, white, or pink flowers appear in late spring to early summer.

Alpine poppies love full sun and good drainage. They naturalize well and often self-seed. As their name suggests, they do well interplanted between crevices in rock gardens and stone retaining walls.

Long-Pod Poppy

Credit:

Ninjin / Getty Images

Their oval, elongated seed heads, a feature that is unique in the poppy genus, earned these poppies the name long-pod or long-headed poppy (Papaver dubium). Their blooms in mid-summer are red to orange and similar to Flanders poppies. Long-pod poppies are annuals that will reseed if the pods are left intact.

The flowers look excellent planted en masse. They do well in full to part sun on well-drained sites. They'll grow in poor soils but appreciate some organic matter. They reach about 15 inches in height.

Great Scarlet Poppy

Credit:

Mike_Pellinni / Getty Images

Great scarlet poppies (Papaver bracteatum) bloom with deep red flowers up to 8 inches in diameter, sitting on top of stalks that grow 3-4 feet tall. They have a purple or black eye in the center of the bloom, making a striking display. Plant them in the center of a small perennial bed as a vertical thriller element.

These perennial poppies are hardy in Zones 4-7. Closely related to oriental poppies, they form clumps that will live for years. Give them a sunny spot with good drainage, and watch them year after year.

Moroccan Poppy

Credit:

Collinswood Images / Getty Images

Also known as Spanish poppies (Papaver atlanticum), these apricot-colored, 6-inch blooms deserve a spot in your garden. Their large but delicate flowers are held aloft by wiry stalks, and unlike most poppies, they will keep blooming through summer into early autumn. Spent seed heads droop gracefully, providing a unique look even after the blooms have faded. 

Moroccan poppies are perennials in Zones 5-7 and need at least 4 hours of sunlight per day. Use them along the edge of rock gardens or dry areas.