Opium Poppy Black Swan Seeds - Papaver somniferum

Papaver somniferum 'Black Swan' is an annual poppy of great stature, which can reach impressive proportions in fertile, moist soils. Its blooms are commensurate with its truly spectacular vegetation. They take on the appearance of enormous, fringed balls whose rich colouring, a mixture of deep purple, almost black against the light, shimmers with hints of ruby red in full sunlight, astonishes the eye. The flowers are so heavy that the high stems often bend under their weight so it is preferable to stake them.  These flowers are followed by fruit that are very ornamental in dried flower bouquets. Sow directly in sunny beds, this vigorous and undemanding plant is truly original. 

The opium poppy 'Black Swan' is a recent and original horticultural variety, belonging to the Papaveraceae or poppy family. It is derived from Papaver somniferum var. nigrum, which is found in the mountains of Asia, but also in Europe, on limestone soils where poppies usually grow. This plant, which probably originated in the regions between the Mediterranean and Anatolia, has given rise to a multitude of varieties that have long been cultivated for ornamental purposes.

Black Peony' has a beautiful, undulating, silver-green foliage with beautifully lobed, elliptical leaves with scalloped margins. From its 50 to 60 cm wide clump of foliage, tall stems emerge from June to July, bearing sumptuous,12 cm, solitary flowers, more than 1 m above the ground. They are very double, round and made up of slender, fringed petals that reflect the light playfully. Their colour is a deep purple, strongly tinged with red at full bloom. Summer blooms give way to a characteristic fruit, filled with small very ornamental black seeds which take on a slate blue sheen as it dries. Their aspect changes with the light because of the film of crystallized wax that protects their surfaces. Opium poppies have a taproot that is not very resistant to transplanting, so it is best to sow them in place.

Comfortable in sophisticated gardens, in medieval-type gardens and gardens without gardeners, opium poppies make it possible to quickly and effortlessly create oceans of infinitely delicate flowers that seem to dance on the silvery foam of their foliage, creating a stirring spectacle of vivid, dark or pastel colours. Although they are not very long-lasting in bouquets, the flowers of the opium poppy 'Black Swan' has a strong personality which is accentuated when it is planted in large groups, in front of tall daisies or the moving leaves of grasses. This annual plant, like the cosmos, has no equivalent for occupying the open sunny spaces between annuals or large perennials such as sunflowers, whose flowers take over later in the season.

Once the flowering period is over, the fruit remains, providing a precious asset for dry bouquets, but also the poppy straw, which is often perceived in more wild areas as a majestic element of the garden or a somewhat enigmatic remnant of summer.