Golden Acre Home & Garden Centre's Plant Library

Other Names:  Iceland Poppy, Arctic Poppy

Description:

This fast growing variety has great flower power, producing volumes of beautiful blooms from orange to deep pink, also yellow and white; colors are available seperately; beautiful massed as a border planting

Ornamental Features

Iceland Poppy features bold orange round flowers with yellow centers at the ends of the stems from early spring to early fall. The flowers are excellent for cutting. Its tomentose ferny leaves remain light green in colour throughout the season.

Landscape Attributes

Iceland Poppy is an open herbaceous perennial with tall flower stalks held atop a low mound of foliage. It brings an extremely fine and delicate texture to the garden composition and should be used to full effect.

This plant will require occasional maintenance and upkeep. Trim off the flower heads after they fade and die to encourage more blooms late into the season. Deer don't particularly care for this plant and will usually leave it alone in favor of tastier treats. Gardeners should be aware of the following characteristic(s) that may warrant special consideration;

• Self-Seeding

Iceland Poppy is recommended for the following landscape applications;

• Mass Planting
• Rock/Alpine Gardens
• General Garden Use

Planting & Growing

Iceland Poppy will grow to be about 12 inches tall at maturity extending to 18 inches tall with the flowers, with a spread of 14 inches. When grown in masses or used as a bedding plant, individual plants should be spaced approximately 10 inches apart. It grows at a fast rate, and under ideal conditions can be expected to live for approximately 3 years. As an herbaceous perennial, this plant will usually die back to the crown each winter, and will regrow from the base each spring. Be careful not to disturb the crown in late winter when it may not be readily seen! As this plant tends to go dormant in summer, it is best interplanted with late-season bloomers to hide the dying foliage.

This plant does best in full sun to partial shade. It prefers dry to average moisture levels with very well-drained soil, and will often die in standing water. It is not particular as to soil type or pH. It is somewhat tolerant of urban pollution, and will benefit from being planted in a relatively sheltered location. Consider applying a thick mulch around the root zone in winter to protect it in exposed locations or colder microclimates. This species is native to parts of North America.