Find Your Ask The Expert: This flower “popped” up this year and was not here last year. Any help identifying it?? It looks like it could be in the poppy family but we just don’t know. Beautiful bright orange flower with brown poppy-like center and green jagged leaves with a fuzzy appearance.
Flower Shop Network Plant Expert Reply: Yes, what you have is a poppy. I believe you have a type of Papaver orientale (Oriental poppy). As for which variety, I am unable to make an exact identification. This species of poppy is a clump-forming type with large cupped shaped flowers and hairy, toothed, lance-shaped leaves. They grow in moist but well drained soil in full sun and can tolerate some shade. These perennials grow best in zones 3 thru 8, where they can be left in the ground year-round. The plant is propagated by seed, root cutting or division.
In the US this species can be found Colorado, Iowa, Louisiana, Maryland, Michigan, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Utah, Virginia, Washington and Wisconsin either naturally or in great numbers. In Canada, you can find it in Ontario.
Since I don’t know where you found the plant, I suspect that the wind or birds dropped the seed in your garden and the conditions were just right for germination.
Hope this information helps. Please let me know if I can do assist with anything else.
Speak Your Mind