New and Unread Tree-Mails
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San Antonio  Waxxumus Apr 19, 2018 11:00 AM CST |
| It popped up in my front yard out of nowhere, and I am worried that it could be the type that makes opium. Could you identify it for me? Ill send you a picture.   |
Name: Jai or Jack WV (Zone 6b) Om shanti om.              Jai_Ganesha Apr 19, 2018 11:26 AM CST |
| This is Papaver somniferum. The plant does contain opioids, but the vast majority of ornamentals contain tiny amounts. The kind that people think of as "opium poppies" are specialized varieties of the same species which grow a lot taller than the garden forms and are farmed in Tasmania, Afghanistan, and other areas. Most of them are white, but a few are light purple. Those have been bred specifically for high opioid contents whereas the ones we grow are bred for food (poppy seeds) and ornament (garden flowers). This particular variety is from the "paeoniflorum" or "peony-flowered" group and likely does not contain enough opioids to make anyone sick or intoxicated unless you deliberately tried to harvest the gum from the pod. But even then, with 1 plant you'd get almost nothing. The way to identify Papaver somniferum from other common poppies such as the Shirley poppy is that the leaves are both glaucous (grey-green) and completely hairless. Keep going! |
San Antonio Waxxumus Apr 19, 2018 11:35 AM CST |
| Thank you. I ended up cutting it down, I dont want risk of being jailed for it since the cops in this region are not very tolerant or kind. I feel rather bad doing so. But Id rather be safe than sorry. |
Name: Jai or Jack WV (Zone 6b) Om shanti om. Jai_Ganesha Apr 19, 2018 11:43 AM CST |
| It's not necessarily illegal to grow for gardening or food production. The act of harvesting opioids is what's illegal, not the act of growing. But in some states (including my own) there are also agricultural restrictions since they can become feral. If you find a jar of poppy seeds (the food) and sprinkle them over a freshly-disturbed site like a construction area or train tracks in late winter, chances are at least a few of these will pop up there the next spring. This picture is public domain and from a poppy field in Tasmania where they grow the crop for drug production:  These fields go on for miles, and produce only small amounts of drug. That's why somebody growing 1, 2, or 10 plants is basically harmless. You'd need to set up a whole field to be on the cops' radar. And you'd probably be growing plain white varieties. I guess it's pretty, but not what I'd call ornamental and definitely doesn't compare to the beautiful pink peony-flowered on you had. Keep going! |
Name: Lin Vosbury Sebastian, Florida (Zone 10a)           plantladylin Apr 19, 2018 11:58 AM CST |
| It's a lovely Opium Poppy (Papaver somniferum) and we have many listed here in our database with photos and growing information: https://garden.org/plants/sear... These Poppies are popular ornamental's in many gardens but since they do contain toxins, one should be careful if grown around children and pets. http://www.californiagardens.c... https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/... https://awaytogarden.com/an-ea... ~ I'm an old gal who still loves playing in the dirt! ~ Playing in the dirt is my therapy ... and I'm in therapy a lot! |
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