Nothing is quite as lovely as when you bring nature right to your garden. Wildflowers are a great way to enjoy natural plants and the beauty they offer. This is especially true of celandine poppy wildflowers. In addition to their ease of planting, the care of celandine plants is simple. Keep reading to learn about celandine poppy info.
I. Appearance and Characteristics
Stylophorum diphyllum, commonly called the celandine poppy or wood poppy, is an herbaceous plant in the poppy family (Papaveraceae). It is native to North America, where it is found in the eastern United States and Ontario. Its typical natural habitat is moist forests over calcareous rock, particularly in ravines.
It is occasionally cultivated for its bright yellow flowers. The common name is derived from greater celandine (Chelidonium majus), a closely related European plant with similar flowers and leaves.
Stylophorum diphyllum is an herbaceous perennial. It grows to about 1.5 feet (0.46 m) tall, from underground rhizomes. Leaves are pinnately cut and lobed. They grow from the base of the plant, and in a pair at the top of the flowering stems. Apart from its normal sap, Stylophorum diphyllum produces a yellow orange latex which can cause stains.

In spring, the deep yellow flowers of the celandine poppy appear as a brilliant display on the forest floor. The flowers have 4 yellow petals, two soon falling sepals, many yellow orange stamens, and a single knobby stigma. They appear singly or in umbels of two to four flowers from early spring to early summer. The flowers issue from between a pair of leaves at the top of the flowering stems. They produce pollen, but no nectar.
After fertilization, a bristly blue green pod hangs below the leaves. Seeds with white elaiosomes ripen in midsummer and the pod opens by four flaps.
II. How to Grow and Care
Sunlight
Celandine poppies need a shaded location. Partial to full shade is best, including dappled sunlight, as long as your plants are not in any harsh, direct afternoon sunlight. These plants will do very well with less than two hours of sunlight each day.
Climate and Temperature
Celandine poppies perform well in USDA Plant Hardiness Zones 4 through 9. They withstand freezing temperatures just fine but do not like arid climate conditions or overly hot summers.
Even though they grow naturally in several southeastern states, they are found only in cooler, shaded forest ecosystems and are best adapted to these cooler, moist conditions.
Watering

Provide medium to high moisture soil. They perform best with well-drained soil, but tolerate occasional wet conditions. Offer your plants some supplemental watering during times of drought or any prolonged period without rain. Dry plants will go dormant prematurely, and extended dry periods may kill these plants entirely.
Soil
The soil around your celandine poppies should be organically rich, moist, and fertile. These plants will tolerate a variety of soil types as long as the soil stays moist. The soil pH should be slightly acidic to neutral.
Fertilizing
One benefit of growing native wildflowers is that they typically don’t need any extra fertilization. Celandine poppy plants will perform quite well in organically rich soil and don’t need extra soil amendments. Adding leaf mulch or other natural biodegradable mulch around your plants will help enrich the soil.
Propagation
Propagation is easiest if you already have a healthy colony. Mature plants can be easily divided. You can also start them by seed or dig out young seedlings around your mature plants.
Seed
Celandine poppy seeds can be purchased or gathered from your own plants. If gathering your own seeds, wait until the summer when the seed pods turn brown. When they are fully ripe, they will crack open and you can gather fresh seeds.
These seeds require a cold, moist stratification in order to germinate. Store them in moist sand or soil in the refrigerator during the winter and direct sow them in the spring. Alternatively, direct sow in the fall and allow them a natural stratification. If the seeds stay cool and moist for several weeks, they will germinate in the spring.
Young plants will be very tender and sensitive to drying out, so this is a critical time to keep your seedlings moist. Continue to watch them closely and keep them moist until they have developed several true leaves. Plants started from seed early enough in the season have a chance to bloom during their first year. If they don’t bloom in their first year, they will certainly be mature enough to bloom in their second year.
Division

If you start with one celandine poppy plant, within a few years, you will have several. You can easily allow your plants to naturalize and form a large colony, but you can also divide larger clumps and transplant them into new areas or pass them along to your gardening friends.
To propagate by division, dig out a clump of several plants. Using your hands, carefully separate individual crowns with their attached roots, being careful to keep the roots intact as much as you can. Immediately re-plant your freshly separated plants and water them well.
Don’t allow the roots to dry out while you are transplanting them. If you aren’t ready to transplant them immediately, you can keep them temporarily in a pot until you are ready to move them elsewhere. Just keep the pot well-watered and in a shaded location.
Transplanting
Transplanting celandine poppies is simple. The only tools you will need are a pair of gardening gloves and a shovel or trowel. The best time to do your transplanting is in early spring, while the weather is still cool. Fall is another excellent time for transplanting perennial wildflowers, but it’s less likely you will find these plants available in the fall because they will already be dormant.
Identify the site where you will transplant your poppy and dig a hole slightly larger than the root mass of your plant. Gently remove your plant from its pot and place it into the hole. Backfill the space around the roots with fresh soil and water it well.
Add a thin layer of organic, biodegradable mulch around your plant to help retain soil moisture and block weeds. Then, keep your plant well-watered for the first several days to help it overcome transplanting shock.
Pests and Diseases

Common Problems
Healthy patches of celandine poppy are generally quite trouble-free. Your biggest concern may simply be keeping the soil around your plants moist. Otherwise, healthy poppy plants rarely have issues with insect pests or diseases, but keep an eye out for slugs.
Slugs
Slugs are common garden pests. If you have slugs in the area, it’s possible you will find some feasting on your celandine poppy plants. You probably won’t see the slugs themselves during the day, but if you notice chunks of leaves missing and tell-tale slime trails left by slugs, you will know these pests are the culprits. Slugs generally won’t cause your plants too much trouble, however, so even if you notice slugs around, you will still have a healthy population of poppies.
Maintenance
- Deadheading your plants after flowering will help prevent them from self-seeding and also encourage them to send up more flowers. It is possible to prolong their blooming season by deadheading spent blooms before they are allowed to set seed.
- Mulching around your plants will help preserve soil moisture and also deter weeds.
- Pull weeds regularly to help maintain your plant’s vigor and also improve the overall health, well-being, and attractiveness of your flower gardens.
- Thinning your celandine poppies may be a regular part of your maintenance regime if you are trying to keep your plants from spreading. For the showiest spring floral display, allow your poppies to naturalize and spread as much as they want, but if they interfere with other plants or walkways, they are easy to thin and control.
III. Uses and Benefits

Primarily used in shade and woodland gardens, celandine poppy is also grown as an ornamental plant around lakes and ponds. The disease-resistant plant is drought tolerant when mature, but will go dormant in the summer heat. Planted together, it forms a flowering border, or grows individually to showcase the profusion of spring and summer blooms.