By Sandra Nelson
This week’s pick by Sandra Nelson, Blog Writer
Celandine Poppy
The perfect plant to brighten up a dark corner of the yard.
Anything from dappled sunlight to deep shade suits this luminescent native wildflower! The Celandine Poppy, or commonly called wood poppy, blooms profusely from early April until the middle to end of June. The four-petaled, 2 inch blooms appear on 12 to 18 inch stems that stand above the dark green foliage. Flowers, coming either individually or in groups of four, are typically bright yellow, but can also have tinges of orange. The flower stems contain a bright yellow sap that was used by Native Americans as a natural dye.
Celandine poppies crave rich, humsy soil and lots of moisture so they are excellent choices for rain gardens and low spots in the shade. Be sure to keep them well watered during the hottest part of the summer. Without adequate moisture, leaves will turn yellow and wither or plants will go completely dormant.
While deer, rabbits and other small mammals tend to avoid the toxic green leaves of wood poppies, other small mammals, especially mice, eat the seeds. Beneficial insects visit the flowers for their pollen.
Photo by David J. Stang
Zones: 4 – 9
