Opium poppy

Opium poppy: how do you recognise it?

Habit

Upright, sparsely branched annual 60–90 cm tall and about 30 cm wide.

Leaves

Large, elongated, wavy-toothed, blue-grey and waxy; they clasp the stem.

Flower

Bowl-shaped, 8–12 cm across, single or fully double; each flower only lasts a few days.

Colour

White, pink, lilac, red and deep purple, often with a dark blotch at the base.

Fruit

Round to egg-shaped seed head with a star-shaped crown; the ripe seed falls out through small openings under the crown.

Sap

White milky sap in the stems, leaves and unripe seed heads.

Flowering: June–July · Sowing: March–April

Why grow it?

• Large, silky flowers in June–July, and very easy from seed.
• The blue-grey foliage looks good before and after flowering too.
• Decorative seed heads to dry for dried arrangements.
• Bees collect its plentiful pollen.
• It self-seeds, so it comes back year after year on open ground.

Opium poppy: where does it grow best?

• Full sun.
• Any free-draining soil: sand, loam or clay, acid to chalky.
• Dry to moderately moist; no wet soil.
• Thin to 20 cm between plants.

Light

Sun

Soil type

Sand, loam or clay

Acidity

Not fussy

Moisture

Dry or normal

Size

0.9 m tall, 0.3 m wide

Hardiness

Tolerates light frost (to -10 °C)

Goes well with

• Cornflower: Blue among the large flowers, with the same sowing time.
• Love-in-a-mist: Airy blue, and it too has lovely seed pods for drying.
• Feather grass: Fine stems next to the bold, grey leaves.
• Catmint: Covers the bare base once the poppy has finished flowering.

Opium poppy: when and how to plant it?

1. Sow where it is to flower in March–April: it dislikes being transplanted.
2. Rake the soil fine and remove weeds.
3. Mix the fine seed with a little sand, scatter it thinly and barely cover it.
4. Press down lightly and keep the seedbed moist until the seedlings appear.
5. Thin to 20 cm apart as soon as the seedlings have a few true leaves.
6. Sow in small patches scattered through the border for a natural effect.

Care

Water

Only in a long dry spell in spring; after that it copes on its own.

Feeding

Not needed.

Support

In a windy spot, a few canes, or let it lean on neighbouring plants.

Spent flowers

Remove them if you want no seed heads or self-seeding; otherwise let the heads ripen.

Drying seed heads

Cut them in August with a long stem once they are grey-brown and dry, and hang them upside down over a sheet of paper.

Tip: Sow thinly where it is to flower in March–April and thin to 20 cm later. Leave a few seed heads to dry on the plant: they look superb in a dried arrangement.

Opium poppy: when to prune it?

When: The opium poppy needs no pruning. After flowering, you choose: remove faded flowers or let the seed heads ripen.

How:

• Remove faded flowers if you want to limit self-seeding.
• Let a few seed heads ripen if you want new plants next year.
• Pull the plants up after the seed has ripened, in August.

Caution: Wear gloves when cutting: the milky sap is poisonous and sticky.

Pruning calendar and basic rules

Propagation

Seed

Collect ripe seed heads in August, shake out the seed and sow it where it is to flower in March–April. Seed from double forms does not always give the same colour or shape.

Self-seeding

Let it self-seed and thin the seedlings to 20 cm in spring.

Opium poppy: how does it get through the winter?

Hardy to −10 °C: protect in harsh winters.

• An annual: the plant dies after setting seed.
• Seed that drops in autumn sometimes germinates before winter; young rosettes tolerate frost down to about −10 °C.
• So there is nothing to protect in winter.

Diseases and pests

• Downy mildew: Yellow patches and distorted leaves with greyish-purple fluff underneath, especially in damp weather. Remove diseased plants and sow in a different spot the following year.
• Aphids: Black aphids on stems and buds. Spray them off with water; ladybirds help.
• Slugs: They eat the seedlings. Protect young sowings and pick slugs off in the evening.
• Flopping: Sowing too thickly or very rich soil gives long, weak stems. Thin to 20 cm in good time and do not feed.

Through the year

• March: Sow thinly where it is to flower.
• April: Last sowing. Thin to 20 cm.
• May: Weed. Watch for slugs and aphids.
• June: Flowering. Remove faded flowers or leave them for seed heads.
• July: Last flowers. Let the seed heads ripen.
• August: Harvest and dry the seed heads. Clear the plants away.
• September: Keep or weed out self-sown seedlings.

Edible and useful

Not edible. The white latex in the stems, leaves and unripe seed heads of the opium poppy contains opiates such as morphine and is poisonous, especially to children. The poppy seed from the bakery comes from varieties grown for it, but teas and infusions of seed heads or stems, even dried ones from a vase, are dangerous: they can stop a person’s breathing, and people have died from them. Use the plant only as an ornamental and dried flower, preferably do not eat the seed from your own plants (it can be soiled with latex), and keep dried arrangements out of children’s reach. Wear gloves when cutting it; also poisonous to dogs, cats and livestock. If any is swallowed, call a poison centre (in Belgium 070 245 245) or your doctor at once.

Good for wildlife

Bees

Nectar and pollen for honeybees and wild bees.

Did you know?

• The poppy seed used on bread and in baking comes from varieties of this species grown specially for the purpose.
• The seed head works like a pepper pot: when the wind shakes it, the seed falls out through small holes beneath the crown.
• It has been cultivated for thousands of years: its seeds have been found at prehistoric settlement sites in Europe.