Oriental poppy

Description:

Oriental poppies throw up a mound of finely cut, hairy foliage in spring. After flowering the foliage dies away entirely, a property that allows their survival in the summer drought of Central Asia. Late-developing plants can be placed nearby to fill the developing gap. Fresh leaves appear with autumn rains. Papaver orientale usually thrives in light calcareous soil and in full sun or part shade. Aside from its natural brilliant orange-scarlet, since the later 19th century selective breeding for gardens has created a range of colors from clean white with eggplant-black blotches, through clear true pinks and salmon pinks to deep maroons and plum. I

Habitat:

Is a perennial flowering plant native to the Caucasus, northeastern Turkey, and northern Iran, not the Orient as the name implies.