Papaver ‘Maanzaad’ is a beautiful somniferum type with large, open white flowers marked with soft pink — papery, delicate, and stunning grown in drifts. Pick blooms regularly to encourage more through summer, then let some go to seed. The elegant seed pods are full of tiny edible seeds (not scattered like other types), making them perfect for harvesting. The name ‘Maanzaad’ is Dutch for “bread seed” — and it lives up to it.
🌸 Flowering: May to August,
📏 Height: to 90cm
🌿Annual
SOW: from March to June, scatter seeds directly onto prepared ground where you want them to flower. Cover very lightly — they only need a dusting. Germination usually takes around 3 weeks, and you’ll get flowers by midsummer.
You can also sow between August and October for earlier blooms (May) the following year. Just protect autumn seedlings with cloches over winter.
GROW: thin seedlings to about 20–30cm apart to give them space to grow strong. They’re easy going once established and put on a fine show in full sun.
ENJOY: this is the poppy for the kitchen gardener. Let some flowers form seed pods — once dried, you can collect the edible seeds and use them generously: sprinkle on breads, toss into salads, stir into dressings or add to curries.
The pods also look great in dried arrangements. If picking for a vase, cut while in bud and sear the stems (with a match or 20 seconds in boiling water) before placing in fresh water — it helps the delicate blooms last longer.
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