Wood Poppy (Stylophorum diphyllum)

Also known as Celandine Poppy, this attractive woodland plant will grow well in zones 4-8 in with little to no care in rich woodland soils. It can tolerate drier, sunnier sites with some care. Imagine these bright yellow poppies next to some Jacob's Ladder or Mertensia, Trout Lily or white Trillium in a spring, woodland garden! A welcome, well-deserved sight in April after a long winter. After seeds drop out of its large, hairy pods, Wood Poppy will mostly disappear as taller, summer shade plants surround it.  Seedlings will emerge in distant areas from the mother plant as it is thought that ants aid in seed dispersal.

This plant should not be confused with Chelidonium majus, Greater Celandine a Eurasian invasive biennial. The leaves and flowers of the two can be very difficult to distinguish, but they are very different in the seeding stage; Chelidonium has a long, hairless "legume" look, while Stylophorum's fuzzy pods are unmistakable.

Attracts: 🐝
Light: part to full shade
Soil: medium to medium-wet