Breadseed Poppy
Mother of Pearl Poppy is a stunning cultivar of Papaver rhoeas bred by 20th-century British artist Sir Cedric Morris, who brought the same eye for color to horticulture that he brought to his paintings and portraits. These elegant flowers bloom in approximately 80 days, reaching 36 inches tall with a shell-like iridescent sheen that shifts between dusty pinks, muted purples, and blushed whites. Plant them in full sun with consistent moisture, spacing seedlings 4 inches apart, and you'll create a living artist's palette, a field where soft, blended tones seem to glow like nacre catching the light.
Full Sun
High
2-11
36in H x 10in W
Annual
High
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What sets Mother of Pearl Poppy apart is the lustrous, pearlescent quality of its petals, a deliberate breeding achievement by an artist-gardener who wanted color itself to shimmer. The variety produces a gentle, intentional color palette that feels more like a watercolor study than a wildflower meadow. These poppies bloom reliably within 80 days and reach a comfortable 36 inches in height, making them substantial enough for cutting yet graceful in the garden. The overall effect is contemplative and refined, quite unlike the bold, saturated poppies most gardeners expect.
Mother of Pearl Poppy is grown primarily as a cutting flower and ornamental garden display. The source catalog recommends harvesting flowers in the morning when petals are just opening, and they hold their beauty longer when cut stems are sealed with a clean knife dipped in a 10% bleach solution and displayed in water with a few drops of bleach added to the vase. The pastel palette and shell-like luster make these particularly valued for soft, sophisticated floral arrangements where subtle color gradations matter more than bold contrast.
Sow seeds outdoors 4 to 6 weeks before your average last frost date, or as soon as soil can be worked in spring. For earlier blooms, fall sowing is also recommended and works especially well in mild climates, where fall-sown poppies will be among the first to flower the following spring. Direct sowing is preferable, as this variety does not transplant well.
For cut flowers, harvest in the morning when flowers are at their freshest and petals are just beginning to open, blooms cut at this stage will last longest in the vase. Use a clean knife that has been dipped in a 10% household bleach solution to make the cut, which prevents bacterial contamination. Once indoors, place stems in water with a few drops of bleach added to the vase to prolong their beauty.
Deadhead spent flowers regularly to encourage continuous blooming throughout the mid to late summer season. Remove flowers just as they finish opening to redirect the plant's energy into new blooms rather than seed production, unless you want the variety to self-sow for next year's garden.
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“Sir Cedric Morris was a British painter and iris breeder of the 20th century who approached horticulture with the same artistic rigor he brought to his portraits and still-life paintings. His horticultural legacy spans new iris varieties and, most notably, this poppy cultivar, a deliberate breeding project aimed at creating a specific emotional response through color harmony. Morris envisioned a flower that would evoke an artist's palette, where dusty pinks, muted purples, and blushed whites would blend in soft, unsaturated tones. Rather than breeding for bold drama, he pursued subtlety and luminescence, selecting for the pearlescent sheen that gives the flower its name and distinguishes it from other poppies in the Papaver rhoeas family.”