Papaver rhoeas. Sow heirloom Flanders poppy seeds for bright red summer colour in nearly any soil. Flanders poppies are quite drought tolerant, so they are useful in xeriscaping schemes. They self sow fairly reliably without ever becoming weedy. It's a good choice for any areas where grasses are allowed to grow tall in summer, with the poppies growing to around 60cm (24") tall. Gather the dried seed heads in late summer for decorative dried flower arrangements. Plants produce abundant tiny seeds that are very easy to gather and give as gifts. This species is mildly toxic to grazing animals, but its acrid taste puts most animals off anyway. So it is a very useful deer resistant variety that looks spectacular when planted in large areas.

Hardy Annual

Description courtesy of West Coast Seeds. Visit the West Coast Seeds page for more photos and detailed growing information.