Breadseed Poppy
Lauren's Grape Poppy is a stunning breadseed poppy cultivated by renowned garden designer Lauren Springer, prized for its dramatic wine-colored blooms that float atop wispy 2- to 3-foot stems. The 3- to 4.5-inch flowers contrast beautifully against misty blue-green, lettuce-like foliage, creating a garden designer's dream. Hardy in zones 6 to 10, this heirloom reaches full bloom in about 100 days from seed and thrives in full sun with moderate water and well-draining soil. Frost-tolerant and beloved by pollinators, it blooms prolifically from spring through summer.
Full Sun
Moderate
6-10
36in H x 10in W
Annual
High
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The wine-colored blooms are genuinely architectural: feather-light petals that seem to hover above delicate stems, paired with cool-toned blue-green foliage that makes the flowers pop. This is a plant bred by someone who understood garden composition, not just plant biology. Deer leave it alone, pollinators visit constantly, and those wispy stems mean you can pack more into a border than you'd expect without creating a visual wall.
Lauren's Grape Poppy is grown as an ornamental flower for cut arrangements and border displays. Its dramatic wine-colored blooms and airy habit make it especially valued by garden designers and florists seeking height and movement in planted compositions. The variety produces seeds that can be saved for future seasons, supporting the heirloom gardening movement.
Sow seeds indoors in pots 6 to 8 weeks before your last spring frost. Surface sow the seeds as they require light to germinate; cover lightly with vermiculite or use a humidity dome. Maintain temperatures of 65 to 70°F until germination, which typically occurs within 5 to 20 days. Once sprouted, reduce temperatures to 50 to 60°F. Transplant very gently when seedlings are ready, as poppies resent being disturbed.
Harden off transplants gradually before moving them outside. Plant 4 weeks before your last spring frost. In zones 8 and warmer, you may also direct sow in late autumn for winter germination.
Direct sow outdoors 4 weeks before your last spring frost or in late autumn (autumn sowing recommended for zones 8 and above). Mix seed with fine sand and scatter thinly over prepared soil.
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“Lauren's Grape Poppy carries the name and vision of Lauren Springer, a celebrated garden designer and author who carefully selected and bred this variety for garden impact. Rather than simply being a random seedling discovered in someone's grandmother's patch, this poppy represents intentional horticultural design: Springer bred it specifically for the dramatic interplay of color and form that makes it a garden designer's tool. It exemplifies how modern heirloom varieties can be shaped by visionary growers who understand both plants and aesthetic principle.”