Planting guide
When to plant poppy
Silky, papery flowers that self-sow into drifts of colour. In Melbourne it goes in Mar, Apr, May, Aug, Sep.
- Start as
- Seed, sown in place
- Flowers in
- 7–13 wks
- Spacing
- 15 cm
- Depth
- 0.1 cm
- Sun
- Full sun (6+ hours)
- Water
- Low
- Effort
- Easy
- Colours
- red, orange, yellow, pink, white, multi
- Frost-tender
- No
When it goes in
● means poppy can go in that month, ○ means wait. Worked out from each town's climate zone and season, the way planting guides do it. Pick your town for the full list for that month.
| Town | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sydney | ○ | ○ | ● | ● | ● | ○ | ○ | ● | ● | ○ | ○ | ○ |
| Melbourne | ○ | ○ | ● | ● | ● | ○ | ○ | ● | ● | ○ | ○ | ○ |
| Brisbane | ○ | ○ | ● | ● | ● | ● | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ |
| Perth | ○ | ○ | ● | ● | ● | ○ | ○ | ● | ● | ○ | ○ | ○ |
| Adelaide | ○ | ○ | ● | ● | ● | ○ | ○ | ● | ● | ○ | ○ | ○ |
| Gold Coast | ○ | ○ | ● | ● | ● | ○ | ○ | ● | ● | ○ | ○ | ○ |
| Newcastle | ○ | ○ | ● | ● | ● | ○ | ○ | ● | ● | ○ | ○ | ○ |
| Sunshine Coast | ○ | ○ | ● | ● | ● | ● | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ |
| Canberra | ○ | ○ | ● | ● | ● | ○ | ○ | ● | ● | ● | ○ | ○ |
| Central Coast | ○ | ○ | ● | ● | ● | ○ | ○ | ● | ● | ○ | ○ | ○ |
| Geelong | ○ | ○ | ● | ● | ● | ○ | ○ | ● | ● | ○ | ○ | ○ |
| Wollongong | ○ | ○ | ● | ● | ● | ○ | ○ | ● | ● | ○ | ○ | ○ |
| Hobart | ○ | ○ | ● | ● | ● | ○ | ○ | ● | ● | ● | ○ | ○ |
| Townsville | ○ | ○ | ● | ● | ● | ● | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ |
| Cairns | ○ | ○ | ○ | ● | ● | ● | ● | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ |
| Toowoomba | ○ | ○ | ● | ● | ● | ○ | ○ | ● | ● | ○ | ○ | ○ |
| Darwin | ○ | ○ | ○ | ● | ● | ● | ● | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ |
| Ballarat | ○ | ○ | ● | ● | ● | ○ | ○ | ● | ● | ● | ○ | ○ |
| Mandurah | ○ | ○ | ● | ● | ● | ○ | ○ | ● | ● | ○ | ○ | ○ |
| Bendigo | ○ | ○ | ● | ● | ● | ○ | ○ | ● | ● | ○ | ○ | ○ |
| Launceston | ○ | ○ | ● | ● | ● | ○ | ○ | ● | ● | ● | ○ | ○ |
| Mackay | ○ | ○ | ● | ● | ● | ● | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ |
| Rockhampton | ○ | ○ | ● | ● | ● | ● | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ |
| Coffs Harbour | ○ | ○ | ● | ● | ● | ○ | ○ | ● | ● | ○ | ○ | ○ |
| Blue Mountains | ○ | ○ | ● | ● | ● | ○ | ○ | ● | ● | ● | ○ | ○ |
| Bunbury | ○ | ○ | ● | ● | ● | ○ | ○ | ● | ● | ○ | ○ | ○ |
| Bundaberg | ○ | ○ | ● | ● | ● | ● | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ |
| Alice Springs | ○ | ○ | ● | ● | ● | ○ | ○ | ● | ● | ○ | ○ | ○ |
| Mildura | ○ | ○ | ● | ● | ● | ○ | ○ | ● | ● | ○ | ○ | ○ |
| Port Macquarie | ○ | ○ | ● | ● | ● | ○ | ○ | ● | ● | ○ | ○ | ○ |
| Town | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Auckland | ○ | ○ | ● | ● | ● | ○ | ○ | ● | ● | ○ | ○ | ○ |
| Wellington | ○ | ○ | ● | ● | ● | ○ | ○ | ● | ● | ○ | ○ | ○ |
| Christchurch | ○ | ○ | ● | ● | ● | ○ | ○ | ● | ● | ● | ○ | ○ |
| London | ○ | ● | ● | ● | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ● | ● | ● | ○ |
| Manchester | ○ | ● | ● | ● | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ● | ● | ● | ○ |
| Edinburgh | ○ | ○ | ● | ● | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ● | ● | ○ | ○ |
| Dublin | ○ | ● | ● | ● | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ● | ● | ● | ○ |
| New York City | ○ | ○ | ● | ● | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ● | ● | ○ | ○ |
| Los Angeles | ○ | ● | ● | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ● | ● | ● | ○ |
| Chicago | ○ | ○ | ● | ● | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ● | ● | ○ | ○ |
| Seattle | ○ | ● | ● | ● | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ● | ● | ● | ○ |
| Austin | ○ | ● | ● | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ● | ● | ● | ○ |
| Toronto | ○ | ○ | ● | ● | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ● | ● | ○ | ○ |
| Vancouver | ○ | ○ | ● | ● | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ● | ● | ○ | ○ |
| Cape Town | ○ | ○ | ● | ● | ● | ○ | ○ | ● | ● | ○ | ○ | ○ |
| Johannesburg | ○ | ○ | ● | ● | ● | ○ | ○ | ● | ● | ○ | ○ | ○ |
| Singapore | ● | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ● | ● | ● |
| Mumbai | ● | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ● | ● | ● |
| Paris | ○ | ● | ● | ● | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ● | ● | ● | ○ |
| Berlin | ○ | ○ | ● | ● | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ● | ● | ○ | ○ |
How to plant poppy
- Scatter seed on bare soil in autumn or early spring; do not bury it.
- Poppies hate root disturbance, so sow in place.
- Thin to 15cm.
- Leave seed pods to ripen for drifts next year.
Poppy varieties
Classic varieties are the reliable, widely grown ones. Adventurous ones are heirlooms, odd colours and rarities.
- Golden West Classic7–9 wksYellow flowers, about 30cm tall
- Purple Gleam Classic8–10 wksPurple flowers, about 40cm tall
- Red Chief Classic8–10 wksRed flowers, about 20cm tall
- Amazing Grey Classic12–14 wksPink flowers, about 60cm tall
- Angels Choir Classic12–14 wksPink flowers, about 80cm tall
- Apricot Chiffon Classic8–10 wksApricot flowers, about 20cm tall
Where to buy seeds
Shop links may earn us a commission. It never changes what we recommend.
Shops shown are for Australia. The chooser picks shops for your country.
Poppy by month
Jan · Feb · Mar · Apr · May · Jun · Jul · Aug · Sep · Oct · Nov · Dec
More to plant
Pansy and viola · Petunia · Nigella · Celosia
Not sure poppy is right for your space? Answer a few taps and see everything that can go in this week.
Find what else you can plant now