White Peony Poppy Seeds — Papaver paeoniflorum

Pure, Ruffled, and Breathtaking — The Poppy That Looks Like a Peony

The White Peony Poppy (Papaver paeoniflorum) is one of the most spectacular annuals you can grow from seed — a cottage garden showstopper that produces enormous, fully double blooms of pure, pristine white, each one a billowing mass of delicate ruffled petals that genuinely rivals the peony in beauty. Rising on tall, elegant stems to 60–90 cm, these blooms glow in the garden with an almost luminous quality, catching the light and drawing the eye from across the border. Equally stunning in a vase, where the fully double flowers last beautifully and bring an old-world, romantic charm to any arrangement. Easy to grow from direct sowing and wonderfully free-flowering, this is a poppy that rewards you generously for very little effort.

Why Gardeners Love It

• 🤍 Enormous fully double white blooms — billowing, ruffled flowers up to 12 cm across in pure pristine white; one of the most beautiful and dramatic annuals you can grow
• ✂️ Outstanding cut flower — tall elegant stems and long-lasting fully double blooms make this a standout in vases and cottage-style arrangements
• 🌿 Glows in the garden — the pure white blooms have an almost luminous quality in the border, catching the light beautifully and combining effortlessly with any colour scheme
• 🐝 Attractive to pollinators — bees and beneficial insects are drawn to the open blooms throughout the flowering season
• 🌱 Self-seeds freely — once established, White Peony Poppy self-seeds reliably around the garden, returning year after year with minimal effort
• 🌱 Easy to grow — 60–90 cm tall — direct sow onto the surface and thin; thrives in NZ cottage gardens, borders, and cutting gardens

Growing Tips for New Zealand

Sow White Peony Poppy direct where it is to flower in autumn or early spring, scattering seeds onto the surface of moist, well-drained soil — do not cover, as seeds need light to germinate. Thin seedlings to 20–30 cm apart. Poppies prefer cool conditions for germination and establishment, making autumn sowing ideal in most NZ regions for late spring to early summer flowering. Choose a sunny to partially shaded position with free-draining soil. Once established, plants are largely self-sufficient and will self-seed gently around the garden. An excellent choice for cottage borders, cutting gardens, and mixed annual plantings throughout NZ.

What's in the Packet

Each packet contains 20 seeds of White Peony Poppy (Papaver paeoniflorum), with growing instructions included.