This plant has suddenly taken over my flower bed!

[newgarden772]

Does anyone know what it is?

I think it's a poppy!

Lots of poppies!

Pic of one in bloom...

Opium poppies. They have the most beautiful pale lilac flowers.
I am really envious as I can’t grow annual poppies to save my life!

Poppies just pull up the ones that are in the wrong place and enjoy the rest. I adore them and they don't last long them you can pull them up (until they return next year)

Oh, I wasn’t expecting that! I was thinking it must be a weed because they have sprung up at a rate of knots. Would you leave them in situ then? I didn’t have any poppies in that bed last year - amazing!

Opium poppy, they've probably self-seeded from a neighbours garden and will be beautiful when they flower! If you don't want poppies next year, simply snip off the seed heads before they've ripened.

Also jealous. I sprayed poppy seeds down the side of my property and I currently have a single flower!!

Thank you everyone! How exciting! I wonder how so many have arrived in my flower bed since last year!

I'd definitely leave them in situ, poppies hate being transplanted and will die if you try to move them. They're annual flowers which means they won't survive the winter... So I'd 'put up with' (enjoy) them where they are this summer, if I was you!

Every time one of those shows up in my garden I rejoice in it. So lovely and unpredictable. Lucky you!

Thanks Poppins - in that case I will enjoy them while they last!

Thanks tryingtobebetter. I’m feeling rather lucky that they landed in my garden now! If they’re annual flowers does that mean they won’t be back next year?

They’re growing in a fairly shady patch of garden - do poppies like shade?

Lucky you! Do post a picture when they flower 🌸🌸🌸

I inadvertently pulled up poppies without realising what they were 🤦‍♀️

Won’t be doing that again. Enjoy your bumper harvest.

Once they have flowered they will develop seed heads - once they are ripe you could scatter the seeds (or just let it happen naturally).

I had some surprise poppies in my new garden, not been able to plant anything yet so they were a lovely unexpected addition

Now that you have poppies in your garden, if you leave the seed heads on (and/or save seed to scatter next spring) you should get new plants next year.

Poppies like sun or partial shade. They won't thrive in full shade.

I have two poppy plants in my garden that self seeded... must be something in the air!

there must be something in the air - yes, poppy seeds!

Oh there are loads of poppies round by us at the moment. They look lovely. All sorts of colours, not just red ones

Definitely poppies. 2 recently discovered hints - they shut at night so during their short life don’t dead head unless they really are gone. If saving seed leave the seed pods (once petals are all fallen) until they dry on the stem. Don’t cut them green - the seeds won’t ah e developed. Then cut and tip over to pour the seeds out.

@7Days yep... and/or bird poo!

They have the most beautiful pale lilac flowers.

Or red like the one waitingtomove posted - and they may be double-flowered. Poppy seeds lurk in the ground and germinate if the soil is disturbed (from your NN, OP, I'm guessing maybe you dug over that flowerbed?). Whenever I've done some digging, in the 25 years I've been here, I get a few random raspberry poppies. Here's one of this year's which is particularly frilly.

Annual poppies grow anew from seed each year. They have very long lasting seed, which is triggered into germination by light (because if they are getting a good level of light it means the ground must be clear of vegetation and therefore there's no competition for them). So if you dig the soil, any poppy seed in the soil that is brought to the surface will germinate and grow. As will any that fell on to bare ground. (This is why poppies flowered on the WWI battlefields).

love these (monster) poppies

I had 1 in my garden last year, I crushed the ripe seedhead and sprinkled it in a boring neglected but sunny corner of my garden.

this year I have dozens!

They are very easy to pull out once the flowers have gone