Cut back Oriental Poppies???

[TomKan]

After the Oriental Poppy blooms, the foliage looks like hell. Do they need to be left to die off like daffodils, or can they be cut back??

[Doug Kanter]

It's best to leave the plant alone. Let the leaves do what they're intended for. But you're right - they look like hell. This is why they're usually NOT planted at the front of the border. Plant something else more attractive in front of them to hide the horror show.

[Wily Wilde]

It depends if you want to harvest the seeds. Read here

Oriental Poppies will grow in any open, sunshiny position in a good, deep loamy soil. They are of easiest culture and require very little care. During the dry spells in the early season, they should be watered occasionally, but after they have finished blooming and the leaves begin to die down, they should be let alone for the roots seem to enjoy a thorough baking during the hottest months. When the rains begin coming in September, the roots will show signs of growth; then the plants can be safely transplanted. Oriental Poppies should be mulched in the Wintertime. This mulch does not have to be removed in the Spring for the leaves soon cover it. After the plants are once satisfactorily situated they should be allowed to remain undisturbed for a number of years.PROPAGATION. The Oriental Poppies should be divided in the Fall after the plants have been dormant during the hot months, or in early Spring. The roots may be cut into pieces

2 inches long and planted in sandy soil, in which case new plants may be obtained. Plants may be grown from seed, which requires a great deal of care. The seeds should be gathered as soon as the pods are ripe and begin to open. They should not be sown too thickly and should be wintered over in the coldframe. As soon as new shoots start in the Spring, pot them up, and after they have attained a good size, plant them out in the open soil from the pots