The poppy plant usually grows between 60-120 cm in height, 23-47 inches and rarely branches. Its leaves have an ovate and oblong shape and are usually very large and showy (3). Within the poppy plant, there are also spherical capsules that contain small, black, white and sometimes blue seeds, which are considered the poppy seeds. In context to opiates, latex is extracted from the immature seed capsules and make up many types of medicinal drugs (3). Poppy flowers are usually super vibrant and come in various colors such as purple, red, white, orange and so many more (4).
A great aspect of growing poppy plants is that they are very hardy, thus they can tolerate some amounts of frost. It is recommended to plant them in early Spring or a few weeks before the last frost (4). They grow best in full sun and require well-drained and fertile soil (5). Poppy plants thrive in warm, dry environments and fertile, finely textured and friable soil (5).
When planting these plants, it is also important to keep the soil moist and water sparingly as too much water can create mold (5). Fertilizer is also very important and it should be noted to lightly fertilize until plants are fully mature and the leaves and petals start to flower. When the weather starts to get dry, it is best to harvest the seeds as they will soon start to rattle inside the pod (5).
Poppy plants are great pollinators for many bees and insects due to their color flowers. Additionally, the pollen from these plants are very clean, containing only a few fungi or mycotoxins (6).
Culinary and/or Medicinal Uses
Poppy seeds are very rich in manganese, which is vital for bone health and the prevention of blood clots. It also aids in the body’s ability to metabolize amino acids, fats and carbs (7). Both the seeds and their oil are used to care for headaches and coughs to heal asthma and insomnia(7). The poppy plant is commonly found in many foods around the world and has many different uses other than drug manufacturing. For example, the poppy is a source of poppy seeds which can be found on poppy seed bagels and lemon poppy seed cake, just to name a few great foods (2). It can also be used for cooking as a spice, however, since these seeds do have opium content, for cooking purposes, an extremely small amount is used. Ingesting greater amounts of poppy seeds can produce a positive result on drug tests, so it is important to make sure that one doesn’t consume too much poppy in one sitting (2).
Significance to Cultural Communities
The earliest reference we found in the sources to poppy cultivation was in lower Mesopotamia, which is now current day Southwest Asia. It is dated back to around 3,400 B.C. and the Sumerians living in that area referred to the plant as Hul Gil, or the “joy plant.” With origins within the Sumerian population, they soon passed along the poppy plant to the Assyrians and the ancient Egyptians (2). It grew a lot in popularity all throughout Asia and the Middle East, that the Silk Road was created. This infamous road stretches from the Mediterranean through Asia, ending in China, which prompted the Opium Wars in the mid-1800s.
From the Community Voice
Excerpt from a poem on Short Edition. Title: Poppy Seeds. By Corina Kowalski (8),
“On Sunday morning the air is sweet,
orange zest and poppy seeds and
flour pushed across the countertop like paint,
my mother’s finger-marks running
through the soft white in haphazard circles and a
fat mass of dough sitting contently in the middle.
The kitchen is warm and balmy,
cast in early-morning-sunlight yellow
deepened by the oven-heat.
My mother pushes the dough out at its edges,
flattening it with her palms while I hold my chin in mine,
crushing poppy seeds against my teeth and
watching her.”
Read the full people here.
*This plant is not currently in the gardens, as cultivating this particular variety of poppy is prohibited without a special permit (9).
References
Haber, Irving, Joseph Pergolizzi, and Jo Ann Lequang. “Poppy Seed Tea: A Short Review and Case Study.” Pain and Therapy8, no. 1 (February 5, 2019): 151–55. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40122-019-0113-5.
“Opium Poppy.” DEA Museum. https://www.deamuseum.org/ccp/opium/history.html
G. Tran. “Poppy (Papaver somniferum).” Feedipedia. October 2, 2015 https://www.feedipedia.org/node/29
“How to Grow and Care for Poppies in Your Garden” Written by Masterclass. June 7, 2017 https://www.masterclass.com/articles/how-to-grow-and-care-for-poppies-in-your-garden#when-to-plant-poppy-seeds
Cope, Kevin and Drost, Dan. “Seed Poppy in the Garden” Utah State University. May 2020. https://digitalcommons.usu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1268&context=extension_curall
Pleasant, Barbara. “Growing Poppies for Seeds and Bees” GrowVeg. December 24, 2015. https://www.growveg.com/guides/growing-poppies-for-seeds-and-bees/
Petre, Alina. “6 Emerging Benefits of Poppy Seeds.” healthline. July 30th, 2020. https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/poppy-seeds-health-benefits
Kawalksi, Corina. “Poppy Seeds.” shortedition. 2020. https://short-edition.com/en/story/poetry/poppy-seeds
UnitedNations. January 1, 1950 https://www.unodc.org/unodc/en/data-and-analysis/bulletin/bulletin_1950-01-01_3_page003.html