‘Pepperbox Poppy’ Heirloom Herb Seeds

Pepperbox earns its garden space three times over. First come the nodding, papery flowers—purple, red, and pale pink, each dramatically marked with a dark central blotch. Then the sturdy gray-green plants produce handsome sculptural pods. Finally, those dry pods hold blue-black seeds with a nutty flavor for baking.

Reaching 3–4 feet, this heirloom has the relaxed grandeur of an old cottage garden and enough vertical structure to carry a border from flower into seed-pod season. Leave the pods standing for their architectural silhouette, gather them for dried arrangements, or harvest the mature seed for the kitchen.

• Botanical name: Papaver somniferum
• Life cycle: Annual
• Exposure: Full sun
• Sowing: Direct sow in fall or very early spring
• Planting depth: Barely cover, about 1/8 in.
• Germination: 7–14 days
• Mature height: 3–4 ft.
• Final spacing: 6–8 in.
• Approximate seed count: 125

From fluttering flowers to decorative pods and a homegrown seed harvest, Pepperbox is a wonderfully productive beauty. Explore more distinctive varieties in our flower seed packets.