Poppy flower colors range from white to vivid reds and oranges.

There are cream, yellow, blue, and purple poppies as well.

Depending on the jot down and your growing zone, poppies can be annuals,perennials, or biennials.

Bright red Shirley poppy blooms in a flower bed

The Spruce / David Beaulieu

Poppies are best planted during the spring.

Find a spot that receives full sun and use well-draining soil.

Keep the poppy flowers' soil lightly moist.

Poppy

The Spruce / Leticia Almeida

You candeadhead to encourage more blooms.

Learn more about how to grow and care for different types of poppy flowers below.

Warning

Most poppies are toxic to humans and pets due to their alkaloid compounds.

Common poppy field with red and pink flowers and buds in between

The Spruce / Evgeniya Vlasova

What Do Poppy Flowers Symbolize?

The poppy flower is considered special because of its meaning.

Specifically, the red poppy symbolizes remembrance, resilience, and peace.

Green Opium poppy seed pods

Lex20 / Getty Images

Many people wear poppies on remembrance days for fallen soldiers.

In addition to its beautiful blooms, the Oriental poppy’s feathery foilage is also something to be admired.

These leaves overwinter, addingwinter interestin areas that receive only light snowfall.

Icelandic poppies with yellow and red-orange flowers closeup

The Spruce / Heidi Kolsky

Add compost to its soil regularly; incorporate mulch when it begins to overwinter.

Be mindful to not overwater your Oriental poppy; only do so when its soil is dry.

Citizens of the United Kingdom don this bright orange-red bloom to honor Remembrance Day each Nov. 11.

How to grow blue poppy flowers

The Spruce / K. Dave

In warm climates, the seeds can be sown in fall or winter.

Once established, the Flanders poppy has minimal water requirements.

Plant the opium poppy by scattering the seeds on the soil in the late fall or early spring.

Greater celandine plant with yellow blooms

David Beaulieu

They will need light for germinate, so don’t cover them with soil.

Keep the soil evenly moist until the seeds germinate, usually within a couple of weeks.

Once established, these poppies are pretty tolerant to drought.

Bloodroot plant with white blooms

David Beaulieu

Be sure to avoid overwatering.

Plant the Iceland poppy in rich, well-draining soil.

you’re free to plant in a spot that receives full sun to partial shade.

California poppies

The Spruce / Evgeniya Vlasova

Feed your Iceland poppy with a balanced fertilizer on a consistent schedule.

Finally, get its water needs right; avoid watering too much or too little.

Water as close to the soil as possible.

Matilija poppy with large white flower with yellow stamen center surrounded with large buds

The Spruce / Randi Rhoades

Make no mistake about it: These are difficult plants to grow from start to finish.

If you succeed, though, you have earned notable bragging rights.

Plume Poppy (Macleaya cordata)

The plume poppy is another uncharacteristic poppy flower.

This perennial from Asia spreads aggressively through rhizomes and self-seeding (if not deadheaded).

Plume poppy likes moist and well-drained soil.

Plant in a spot with full or partial sun.

It’s low maintenance because of how easy it is to grow.

Just double-check it’s not considered to be invasive in your area.

This is a low-growing, stemless plant whose leaves and flower stalks emerge directly from the ground.

It blooms with white flowers, sometimes tinged with pink, in early spring.

The common name derives from the reddish-orange color of its sap when the roots are cut.

Don’t worry about fertilizing the California poppy because it will be unnecessary.

It is an aggressive grower and spreads underground by rhizomes.

The Matilija poppy grows in dry, desert-like climates and is drought-resistant.

Yes, many poppies will return every year because they are perennials.

There are some poppy flowers that do not because they are annuals, such as Shirley poppies.

Usually, poppies will bloom between April and June.