Title: Plume Poppy: Playing Devil's Advocate With a Plant Thug
Headings: Plume Poppy: Aggressive Spreader Too Risky for Many Gardeners
Plume Poppy: Aggressive Spreader Too Risky for Many Gardeners
Stately Plant Invasive in Some Areas
Botanical Basics
Why Plume Poppy Is Risky to Grow
Playing Devil's Advocate
The Bottom Line

Content: But, first, let's take a quick look at exactly what a plume poppy is. Botanical Basics
In botanical lingo, plume poppy is called Macleaya cordata (which has taken over for the older name, Bocconia cordata ). The genus was named for Alexander McLeay (1767 to 1848), an entomologist. The species name refers to the heart-shaped leaf base. Macleaya cordata is not a true poppy plant, because it does not belong to the genus, Papaver, as does Oriental poppy, for example. It does, however, belong to the same family (Papaveraceae, the poppy family) as do the true poppies. A cultivar of the plant is Kelway's Coral Plume. Plume poppy is an herbaceous perennial, and its suggested growing zones are 3 to 8. Full sun is recommended in the North, partial shade in the South. Its most interesting features are its size and shape.