Shirley poppy · Pointe-Noire, Pointe-Noire, Republic of the Congo
When to plant shirley poppies in Pointe-Noire
Main outdoor window
1 Jun - 16 Jul
A climate estimate. Check your soil, forecast and cultivar.
Timed from temperature
June to September
No frost on record in Pointe-Noire, so the months this crop fits in our temperature model set the timing. This does not confirm local suitability.
First flowers
31 Jul - 20 Aug
If you plant at the start of the window.
Temperature-based estimate. Pointe-Noire has no dependable frost season.
These dates do not account for rain, humidity or waterlogging. Check the local growing season,
especially in monsoon climates, before treating this window as a planting recommendation.
Rainfall check: the wettest month is November (about 167 mm), and the driest is
July (about 0 mm).
Compare all months and check the limitations before choosing the season.
Step by step in Pointe-Noire
Download these planting dates (.ics)
Import into Apple Calendar, Google Calendar or Outlook. Dates use the selected risk level and are planning estimates, not frost alerts.
Each window is a planning range. Check the forecast, soil and cultivar before planting; a later date is not automatically safer in hot or wet conditions.
Sow direct
1 Jun - 16 Jul
The opening weeks of the stretch when the average temperature suits this crop, which here runs from June to September. There is no frost to work around, so heat is what sets the timing.
In flower
31 Jul - 20 Aug
Shirley poppies through the year
Against the monthly temperature record in Pointe-Noire
Seasonal context
Rainfall and the growing season in Pointe-Noire
November has the highest average precipitation (167 mm); July has the lowest (0 mm). Compare this pattern with the planting windows and your water supply.
During wetter months, check that beds and containers drain after heavy rain. During drier months, plan how you will keep seeds and new transplants watered. Monthly averages can hide long dry spells and intense storms; they do not show soil moisture, humidity or this week's weather.
Frost-free does not mean every month is suitable. In tropical and monsoon climates, rainfall, heat, drainage and the cultivar can set the practical growing season. Match the temperature window to these conditions and check advice from a local grower before buying planting material.
Source: NASA POWER, corrected MERRA-2 precipitation, 2001–2020. Values are approximate monthly totals, including the water equivalent of snow, from the nearest 0.5° × 0.625° grid cell. This reference period differs from the temperature record. Rainfall provides context and does not change the calculated planting dates. Method and limitations.
Monthly growing conditions in Pointe-Noire
Compare the planting window with the local temperature pattern. These are historical monthly averages, not this year's forecast or measured soil temperatures. Average frost days do not tell you whether a particular night will freeze.
| Month | Average low | Average high | Frost days |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | 25.6°C (78.1°F)78.1°F (25.6°C) | 27.9°C (82.2°F)82.2°F (27.9°C) | 0.0 |
| February | 26.3°C (79.3°F)79.3°F (26.3°C) | 28.4°C (83.2°F)83.2°F (28.4°C) | 0.0 |
| March | 26.5°C (79.7°F)79.7°F (26.5°C) | 28.6°C (83.5°F)83.5°F (28.6°C) | 0.0 |
| April | 26.1°C (78.9°F)78.9°F (26.1°C) | 28.2°C (82.7°F)82.7°F (28.2°C) | 0.0 |
| May | 24.8°C (76.6°F)76.6°F (24.8°C) | 27.3°C (81.1°F)81.1°F (27.3°C) | 0.0 |
| June | 22.3°C (72.1°F)72.1°F (22.3°C) | 25.5°C (77.9°F)77.9°F (25.5°C) | 0.0 |
| July | 20.8°C (69.4°F)69.4°F (20.8°C) | 24.3°C (75.8°F)75.8°F (24.3°C) | 0.0 |
| August | 21°C (69.8°F)69.8°F (21°C) | 24.5°C (76°F)76°F (24.5°C) | 0.0 |
| September | 22.7°C (72.8°F)72.8°F (22.7°C) | 26°C (78.9°F)78.9°F (26°C) | 0.0 |
| October | 24.4°C (76°F)76°F (24.4°C) | 27.4°C (81.4°F)81.4°F (27.4°C) | 0.0 |
| November | 25.1°C (77.2°F)77.2°F (25.1°C) | 27.4°C (81.4°F)81.4°F (27.4°C) | 0.0 |
| December | 25.1°C (77.1°F)77.1°F (25.1°C) | 27.3°C (81.2°F)81.2°F (27.3°C) | 0.0 |
For shirley poppies, also check drainage, sunlight and cultivar requirements. See the rainfall context above; humidity, irrigation and local pest pressure are not calculated.
Local growing check
Before choosing shirley poppies for Pointe-Noire
- November is the wettest month in the rainfall grid, averaging about 167 mm. Check how your own bed drains and plan watering around actual soil moisture; monthly rain totals are not an irrigation schedule.
The temperature and rainfall tables on this page show the underlying climate estimates. How these suitability checks work · Record what happens in your garden.
Before you plant shirley poppies
Use the calendar to plan ahead, then check the conditions in your own garden.
- Measure the soil at sowing depth. Aim for at least 5°C (41°F); the calendar estimates soil warmth from air temperatures and cannot measure your bed.
- In a frost-free climate, check seasonal rainfall, humidity and heat before planting. A month with suitable average temperatures can still be too wet, dry or hot for this crop.
- Use the maturity range on your seed packet when choosing a variety. Cold, short days and transplant stress can make harvest later than the calendar estimate.
Plan Shirley poppies as a self-sowing annual display
Choose a sunny, drained bed, with some relief from intense afternoon heat in hot conditions. Follow the seed supplier's sowing instructions and avoid crowding seedlings into a dense mat. Seedlings need moisture even where established poppies tolerate drier soil.
Decide whether to retain seed capsules or remove them. Allowed to ripen, they can supply future seedlings, including plants outside the intended patch; saved seed may not repeat every colour in a mixture. Label a small test sowing to compare the local season and colour result.
What to record this season
Which sowing produced the longest display, and where did unwanted seedlings appear? Add the cultivar, sowing date and conditions to your growing record so you can compare next season.
Further reading: NC State Extension: Papaver rhoeas . General crop guidance; local dates on this site are calculated separately. Source checked 19 September 2026 by Safe to Plant; this is not an expert review.
The reference describes plant identity and cultivation. Its regional calendar months and hardiness observations do not validate the calculated dates for another location.
How the dates are calculated and their limits · Keep a growing record · Report a local discrepancy
Why these dates
Frost-relative timing needs a dependable seasonal frost date. Pointe-Noire has no such date in this record, so this page compares monthly temperatures with the crop's model range instead. Local wet and dry seasons, day length and cultivar requirements still need a separate check.
The model uses a growing-temperature band for shirley poppies between 5°C (41°F)41°F (5°C) and 25°C (77°F)77°F (25°C) — and in Pointe-Noire that is June to September, 4 months of the year, taken from this location's own monthly averages. The planting window begins near the start of this period. The catalog estimate is 60 to 80 days from planting to flowering under suitable conditions.
Pointe-Noire sits in zone 13b, which is above the catalog range. Confirm the exact cultivar locally; a zone number alone cannot measure summer heat or winter chill. The calculated dates do not confirm that this crop is suitable here. Check cultivar requirements and local growing experience before planting.
Also in Pointe-Noire
Other flowers to time
Growing shirley poppies in Pointe-Noire
Can I grow shirley poppies in Pointe-Noire?
The calendar estimates a planting window, not a guarantee of success. November is the wettest month in the rainfall grid, averaging about 167 mm. Check how your own bed drains and plan watering around actual soil moisture; monthly rain totals are not an irrigation schedule.
When should I plant shirley poppies in Pointe-Noire?
The temperature-based window is 1 Jun - 16 Jul. Pointe-Noire has no dependable frost season: June to September have monthly averages inside the model range for shirley poppies. Check seasonal rainfall, heat and cultivar requirements before planting.
When might shirley poppies flower in Pointe-Noire?
The estimated period is 31 Jul - 20 Aug, based on 60 to 80 days from the modeled planting date. Cultivar, planting material and growing conditions can change this interval; check the plant as well as the calendar.
How much frost will shirley poppies tolerate?
Check the named variety and local forecast before exposing young growth. The catalog cold-damage figure is a reference, not a guarantee: plant age, acclimatisation, wind and the duration of a freeze affect damage.