Growing Non-GMO Danish Flag Poppy Flower Seeds

For best germination, give seeds a 4 to 5 week cold, moist stratification period before sowing indoors in spring, or simply direct sow outdoors in late fall or as early as the ground can be worked in spring, allowing natural winter cold to do the stratifying for you. Surface sow and press seeds gently into the soil without covering them, since light is needed for germination. Thin seedlings to 6 to 12 inches apart once they develop true leaves.

Poppies dislike root disturbance, so starting indoors is not recommended unless using individual peat pots to minimize transplant shock. Once established, these plants need little maintenance and perform best in cooler weather, often struggling to germinate or thrive if sown during the heat of summer.

Danish Flag Poppy in the Flower Garden

Sturdy, upright stems hold these enormous, fringed blooms above silvery, deeply lobed foliage, making a bold statement in beds and borders throughout the summer. The striking white cross at the center of each crimson bloom draws the eye from a distance, and the flowers are especially effective when massed together in drifts. Once the petals fade, the ornamental seed pods that follow add continued visual interest in the garden or in dried arrangements.

Harvesting Danish Flag Poppy

If harvesting seed pods for dried arrangements, wait until the pods have dried and turned brown on the plant before cutting the stems. Handle with gloves, since all parts of the plant are toxic if ingested. Cut stems can be hung upside down to finish drying in a warm, well-ventilated space before use in arrangements.

About Danish Flag Poppy Garden Seeds

Danish Flag has been grown since the 19th century and takes its name from its resemblance to the flag of Denmark, with a bold white cross set against a field of vivid red.

This variety is part of the Papaver somniferum group, sometimes called breadseed or lettuce-leaf poppies, prized for their enormous blooms and ornamental seed pods.

Its deer resistance and easygoing nature have kept it a longtime favorite for cottage gardens, borders, and naturalized plantings.

Tips From Our Gardeners

Scatter a pinch of sand with the seeds before sowing. Poppy seeds are tiny and easy to sow too thickly, and mixing them with sand helps spread them more evenly across the bed.

- Jerry Sawyer, True Leaf Market Writer

Danish Flag Poppy Seeds Per Package:

• 4 g Packet - Approximately 13,122 Seeds
• 1 oz - Bulk - Approximately 93,000 Seeds
• 4 oz - Bulk - Approximately 372,000 Seeds
• 1 lb - Wholesale - Approximately 1,488,000 Seeds

Non-GMO Danish Flag Poppy seeds are available for Fast Free Shipping on qualifying orders.