Celandine Poppy
Celandine poppy (Stylophorum diphyllum), also known as Wood Poppy, is a perennial plant which has been considered to have originated in wild woodland regions, but adapts pretty well to cultivation in flower gardens.
The main attraction for gardeners is the exceedingly beautiful yellow and orange flowers. It reaches approximately eighteen inches in height, and thanks to the ability of Celandine to self sow you will have an carpet of yellow-orange flowers.
The flowers are not the only attractive part of this plant; its leaves are also quite decorative. The leaves are basal, opposite, and can grow as long as about six inches.
This flowering plant starts blooming from the end of winter and the beginning of spring. Once it starts it regularly flowers all though the summer season.
If you carry out the procedure of “dead heading“, your garden will be decorated with Celandine poppy flowers continuously during the summer months. Deadheading is worth the effort as you will definitely be compensated with the spectacular brightness of sunny colors in your garden.
Soil
Remember that Celandine Poppy is native to the woodland areas with rich moist soils, and that is why to achieve success with Calandine plants the soil in your garden should have similar characteristics.
Fertilize it with humus; make sure it is rich and wet, but not muddy or waterlogged as the roots of the plant would rot if continuously over-watered.
Celandine poppy likes shady places. Avoid planting them without anything around to shelter them from the midday heat of the summer sun.
How to grow Celandine Poppy
Plant Celandine poppy in the fall or autumn on a piece of land cleared of all weeds. Do not forget that the plant needs rich soil; therefore it is recommended to fertilize it with a reasonable amount of compost. That is to say about two buckets or so of compost per twenty square feet.
Now scatter seeds all over this prepared planting area and then scatter a little soil over them, just enough to cover the seeds. Of course if you prefer, it is also possible to germinate the seeds in pots or flat boxes and then to plant the young saplings with the coming of spring.
When your plants grow to around 6 inches in height you would be advised to move them apart if they are too close to each other. There should be at least one foot of space between two plants.
Do not allow them to grow too close or they will leach nutrients from each other. If you have extra plants you can transplant them to some other shady portion of your garden.
As I mentioned before, Celandine Poppy needs moisture and so ensure that the plants are evenly watered all through the summer. Picking flowers regularly tends to make the plant bushier and even encourages them to have more flowers.
Propagation
You can propagate these Poppy plants in spring but they are quite capable of self sowing.
They will look especially good if planted in a rock garden as they tend to look wild and natural.
Protecting the Plants in Winter
As with most plants, you need to apply mulch in winter. If you do not have a supply of mulch material you can buy it from a garden store, nursery or farm.
You can use hay mulch, which consists mainly of leaves and grasses, or straw mulch. Do be aware that if you use hay you may well be actually planting grass there from the seed heads in the hay.
Apply the mulch late in the fall, after the ground has already become cold, and if possible wait until the first frost.
Summary
Celandine Poppy is a woodland plant with yellow and orange flowers rising to 3 feet tall and 3 feet wide. The flowers are not the only draw to gardeners; the leaves are very attractive as well.
This flower for a shade garden blooms from late Winter into Spring. Then continuing with flowering on and off throughout summer. If you deadhead you’ll have continuous flowers.
The plants will self sow and given the room will give you a sea of yellow and orange flowers that are quite spectacular.
You will want to replicate the soil of a forested area with lots of composted organic material, moist and well drained humus rich soil.
This shade plant grows well under shrubs, mixed in with hosta and ferns it’s very striking.
It should be noted if the soil dries out for an extended period of time or it gets too hot the plant will shut down, go dormant, until conditions improve.
Propagation in Spring if you wish, but perhaps letting them self sow is the way to go. They will look good in a rock garden, try it.
If you like yellow/orange flowers in your garden you’ll be happy with this choice.
Rich, humus soil, moist and in the shade, will provide you with a spectacular display of color and enjoyment.