Is Poppy deer resistant?
Papaver sp.
Plant typeAnnualHardinessGrown as an annual, any zoneLightFull sun
MaintenanceLow, mostly leave it alone
Toxic to cats and dogs if eaten
About Poppy
Milky sap runs through the whole plant and is what deer object to. Sow annual poppies where they are to flower, since they resent any root disturbance.
Soil and care
- Soil pH
- 6 to 7.5
- Drainage
- Well drained
- Water
- Low
- Spacing
- 8 to 12 in apart
- Growth rate
- Fast
- Maintenance
- Low
Similar to Poppy
Other annuals with the same deer rating.
- AgeratumAgeratum houstonianumGrown as an annual, any zoneRarely damaged
- Angel's TrumpetBrugmansia sp.Grown as an annual, any zoneRarely damaged
- AnisePimpinella anisumGrown as an annual, any zoneRarely damaged
- Annual VincaCatharanthus roseusGrown as an annual, any zoneRarely damaged
- Dusty MillerCentaurea cinerariaGrown as an annual, any zoneRarely damaged
- False CamomileMatricaria sp.Grown as an annual, any zoneRarely damaged
Where Poppy grows
Hardy across most of these 51 states on zone range alone. Mountain and coastal areas sit outside the ranges used here, so check your own zone before ordering.
- Pennsylvania
- New Jersey
- New York
- Connecticut
- Massachusetts
- Virginia
- Maryland
- Michigan
- Wisconsin
- Ohio
- Indiana
- Illinois
- Minnesota
- Missouri
- North Carolina
- Tennessee
- Georgia
- Texas
- Colorado
- California
- Oregon
- Washington
- New Hampshire
- Vermont
- Maine
- Rhode Island
- Delaware
- West Virginia
- Kentucky
- South Carolina
- Florida
- Alabama
- Mississippi
- Louisiana
- Arkansas
- Oklahoma
- Kansas
- Nebraska
- Iowa
- North Dakota
- South Dakota
- Montana
- Wyoming
- Idaho
- Utah
- Nevada
- Arizona
- New Mexico
- Alaska
- District of Columbia
- Hawaii
Browse from here
Every list Poppy belongs to.
Hardy in these zones
Common questions about Poppy
- Is Poppy deer resistant?
- Poppy (Papaver sp.) is rated Rarely Damaged on the Rutgers NJAES four-tier scale. Deer almost always leave this alone.
- What hardiness zones does Poppy grow in?
- Poppy is hardy in USDA zones 2 to 11. Outside that range it will either not survive winter or will struggle with summer heat. That is the range across the genus, so a named species or cultivar may be narrower.
- Does Poppy grow in shade?
- No. Poppy wants full sun and will grow thin and flop in shade.
- Is Poppy toxic to dogs or cats?
- Yes. The ASPCA lists Poppy as toxic to dogs and cats. Site it away from where animals graze, or choose something else if you have a dog that chews.