As they age yes , The better homes and gardens says to divide ( every 2 or 3 yrs ?) , I don't have much luck with the perennial poppies but I do have a few now .
You could be seeing self sown seedlings , if they press in on the surface ,
Personally , I would keep trying from seeds ,, But you might try colder stratifying a few , Might not be cold enough where you are , They are an all winter stratify here ,, Temperatures early will cause them to germinate and freeze to death as seedlings , Here they are winter sown now , 0 degrees , thru Feb ..
