When to plant poppies
hardy annual (California, Shirley, Iceland) and oriental poppy perennial
The short answer
Poppies are sown outdoors about 2 weeks before the last frost (Colorado). You can get a head start by starting them indoors 4 weeks before the last frost.
Zone 5: direct sow from Apr 16. Zone 7: direct sow from Mar 22. Zone 9: direct sow from Feb 6. See every zone or your state.
When to plant poppies by USDA zone
Dates are worked out from each zone’s typical last frost, using the number of weeks the cited extension services give. Find your zone on the zone map. Zones 11 and above are frost-free, so timing there depends on heat and rain instead.
| Zone | Typical last frost | Start seed indoors (optional) | Direct sow |
|---|---|---|---|
| Zone 3 | May 15 | Apr 17 | from May 1 |
| Zone 4 | May 10 | Apr 12 | from Apr 26 |
| Zone 5 | Apr 30 | Apr 2 | from Apr 16 |
| Zone 6 | Apr 15 | Mar 18 | from Apr 1 |
| Zone 7 | Apr 5 | Mar 8 | from Mar 22 |
| Zone 8 | Mar 20 | Feb 20 | from Mar 6 |
| Zone 9 | Feb 20 | Jan 23 | from Feb 6 |
| Zone 10 | Jan 30 | Jan 2 | from Jan 16 |
Rule used: direct sow about 2 weeks before the last frost (Colorado); start seed indoors (optional) 4 weeks before the last frost.
When to plant poppies in your state
Same rule, applied to each state’s typical last spring frost. States marked * span very different climates, so use your own frost date for the exact day - click a state for its frost dates.
| State | Typical last frost | Start seed indoors (optional) | Direct sow |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | Mar 25 | Feb 25 | from Mar 11 |
| Alaska * | May 17 | Apr 19 | from May 3 |
| Arizona * | Mar 15 | Feb 15 | from Mar 1 |
| Arkansas | Apr 3 | Mar 6 | from Mar 20 |
| California * | Feb 20 | Jan 23 | from Feb 6 |
| Colorado | May 5 | Apr 7 | from Apr 21 |
| Connecticut | Apr 25 | Mar 28 | from Apr 11 |
| Delaware | Apr 14 | Mar 17 | from Mar 31 |
| District of Columbia | Apr 10 | Mar 13 | from Mar 27 |
| Florida | Feb 12 | Jan 15 | from Jan 29 |
| Georgia | Mar 25 | Feb 25 | from Mar 11 |
| Idaho | May 10 | Apr 12 | from Apr 26 |
| Illinois | Apr 20 | Mar 23 | from Apr 6 |
| Indiana | Apr 24 | Mar 27 | from Apr 10 |
| Iowa | Apr 25 | Mar 28 | from Apr 11 |
| Kansas | Apr 15 | Mar 18 | from Apr 1 |
| Kentucky | Apr 18 | Mar 21 | from Apr 4 |
| Louisiana | Mar 5 | Feb 5 | from Feb 19 |
| Maine | May 14 | Apr 16 | from Apr 30 |
| Maryland | Apr 14 | Mar 17 | from Mar 31 |
| Massachusetts | Apr 24 | Mar 27 | from Apr 10 |
| Michigan | May 10 | Apr 12 | from Apr 26 |
| Minnesota | May 6 | Apr 8 | from Apr 22 |
| Mississippi | Mar 20 | Feb 20 | from Mar 6 |
| Missouri | Apr 15 | Mar 18 | from Apr 1 |
| Montana | May 15 | Apr 17 | from May 1 |
| Nebraska | Apr 30 | Apr 2 | from Apr 16 |
| Nevada * | Apr 20 | Mar 23 | from Apr 6 |
| New Hampshire | May 13 | Apr 15 | from Apr 29 |
| New Jersey | Apr 20 | Mar 23 | from Apr 6 |
| New Mexico * | Apr 20 | Mar 23 | from Apr 6 |
| New York * | May 1 | Apr 3 | from Apr 17 |
| North Carolina | Apr 5 | Mar 8 | from Mar 22 |
| North Dakota | May 15 | Apr 17 | from May 1 |
| Ohio | Apr 25 | Mar 28 | from Apr 11 |
| Oklahoma | Apr 1 | Mar 4 | from Mar 18 |
| Oregon * | Apr 20 | Mar 23 | from Apr 6 |
| Pennsylvania | May 1 | Apr 3 | from Apr 17 |
| Rhode Island | Apr 25 | Mar 28 | from Apr 11 |
| South Carolina | Mar 25 | Feb 25 | from Mar 11 |
| South Dakota | May 10 | Apr 12 | from Apr 26 |
| Tennessee | Apr 10 | Mar 13 | from Mar 27 |
| Texas * | Mar 15 | Feb 15 | from Mar 1 |
| Utah | May 5 | Apr 7 | from Apr 21 |
| Vermont | May 14 | Apr 16 | from Apr 30 |
| Virginia | Apr 15 | Mar 18 | from Apr 1 |
| Washington * | Apr 20 | Mar 23 | from Apr 6 |
| West Virginia | May 5 | Apr 7 | from Apr 21 |
| Wisconsin | May 10 | Apr 12 | from Apr 26 |
| Wyoming | May 20 | Apr 22 | from May 6 |
What extension services say
- Colorado's seed table gives California poppy and Shirley poppy 4 weeks indoors before the average frost-free date (4 weeks in a cold frame too), and marks both as plants best suited to direct seeding in the garden two weeks before the average frost-free date. Colorado State University Extension ↗
- Texas A&M lists California poppy and Iceland poppy among annuals planted in the fall for spring flowers, and notes both can be direct seeded. Fall-planted annuals there are generally set out when temperatures begin to cool off in late September-October. Texas A&M AgriLife (Earth-Kind Landscaping) ↗
- Oriental poppy (a perennial) is hardy in zones 2-7, blooms May through June, needs very well-drained soil especially over winter, and is difficult to transplant because of its fleshy tap root. University of Illinois Extension ↗
- Fleshy-rooted perennials such as poppy, peony and iris are best divided in late summer to very early fall. University of Illinois Extension ↗
Colorado's two-weeks-before-frost direct sowing applies to the hardy annual poppies in its table; oriental poppy is a perennial and is not sown on this schedule. In mild-winter Texas the annual poppies are fall-planted instead.
Questions gardeners ask
When do you plant poppies?
Hardy annual poppies can be direct seeded about two weeks before the average last frost (Colorado State). In Texas, California and Iceland poppies are planted in the fall for spring flowers (Texas A&M).
Can you transplant poppies?
Oriental poppy is difficult to transplant because of its fleshy tap root (Illinois Extension). Colorado marks California and Shirley poppies as best suited to direct seeding.
When do you divide oriental poppies?
Late summer to very early fall, like other fleshy-rooted perennials such as peony and iris (Illinois Extension).
Sources
- Texas A&M AgriLife (Earth-Kind Landscaping): Seasonal Color...Care and Management
- University of Illinois Extension: Oriental Poppy
- Colorado State University Extension: Growing Annual Plants from Seed
- University of Illinois Extension: Dividing Perennials
Extension advice is local to the state that wrote it. Where the sources differ, both are shown. Dates in the tables are estimates from typical frost dates; your garden’s own last frost can differ by a week or more. How we source data.