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Opium poppy is an upright annual, that grows 3-4 ft (0.9-1.2 m) tall, with serrated and deeply lobed bluish green leaves 3-6 in (7.6-15.2 cm) long, and exceedingly beautiful flowers. The cut stems exude a milky latex. Opium poppy starts out life as a basal rosette of leaves that looks a little like a tiny cabbage or collard plant. In late spring it sends up a leafy stalk with a single nodding bud which soon turns itself upright and opens into a bowl shaped flower up to 4 in (10 cm) across. Flowers come in red, white, pink, purple or mauve, and are usually double. Large bluish green seed pods follow the short-lived blooms. There are several selections of opium poppies. One of our favorites is 'Peony Flowered' which has large frilly pompoms for flowers; the pink flowered one reseeds itself and surprises us every spring with its outlandish blooms. 'Hens and Chickens' is an opium poppy grown for its seedheads which include one large one and several attached smaller ones. 'Danebrog' has fringed petals.
Location
Culture
Poppies are usually used as bedding flowers. The strikingly beautiful flowers of the opium poppy are at their best in mixed borders and beds. The flowers are great as cut flowers; they'll last longer if you cauterize the cut stem before placing in water. This is the poppy from which we get opium and its many derivatives. Raw opium is derived from the milky sap that exudes from the green seed capsules when they are cut. The capsules turn brown when they ripen, and the dry seed is used for breads and other baked goods. The curious looking seed capsules are good in dried arrangements, too.
Features Many of our most beautiful garden varieties are hybrids of this species with the oriental poppy and others listed above.
Steve Christman 10/9/03; updated 9/12/04
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