In article , Alexander Pensky
wrote:

gregpresley wrote:
The quintessential reseeding annual of northern climes is the poppy. Both
papaver rhoeas (shirley poppy, corn poppy), and papaver somniferum (opium
poppy) will reseed themselves for years in cool climates. If your climate is
cold enough, iceland poppy may reseed itself too. (Native to arctic
regions).

Huh? Opium poppies are perennial, n'est-ce pas?

I think this varies. They sometimes go a couple years as non-blooming
perennials, then do not return the next year after finally blooming,
unless they reseed, which they do quite easily. But some annual poppies do
seem to perennialize unpredictably & bloom year after year, & I think P.
somniferum may be one that can do so, though I'm not swearing to it. Mine
in the past have been annuals. This year I have only one opium poppy (a
black peony variety) -- it has been blooming a full month so far,
beginning to look scruffy finally -- & I'm saving the pods as I'm pretty
sure it won't come back next year, but I won't disrupt its specific
location in case it does want to return.

-paghat the ratgirl

A friend gave me some root pieces in a pot..
planted them years ago...
the *exact same* poppy comes up every year...
not new seedlings.

- Alex

--
"Of what are you afraid, my child?" inquired the kindly teacher.
"Oh, sir! The flowers, they are wild," replied the timid creature.
-from Peter Newell's "Wild Flowers"
See the Garden of Paghat the Ratgirl: http://www.paghat.com/