'Double Pleasure' Oriental Poppy

Fabulous color, twice the petal power, and so easy to grow -- what's not to love about Double Pleasure? This is a double-flowered Oriental Poppy with salmon-pink to watermelon-red blooms of a crinkly crepe-paper-like consistency and fascinating black central markings. Arriving on sturdy stems, they make ideal cutflowers, and also radiate hot early-summer color in the border.

Standing just over 2 feet high in bloom, this poppy is a showstopper. When fully open, the outermost layer of petals is held out flat, while the inner layer stands upright, creating a very full, textured, architectural look guaranteed to delight. The flowers are large and quite long-lasting, reliably double on vigorous plants 15 to 18 inches wide.

Among the most commanding of all perennials, Oriental Poppies bloom lavishly throughout May and June, creating a sheer burst of vivid brilliance without equal. They will flourish in almost any soil provided it receives sun and is very well-drained, but really flourish in rich loam. Space the plants 15 to 18 inches apart and water occasionally during dry spells early in their season. Other than this, they need virtually no attention! Zones 3-9.