Scientific Name Papaver somniferum Common Name Opium poppy

Perennial Flowers Consumer Hort Index - Fact Sheets

Characteristics Season late spring Height 24-36 inches Hardiness USDA Hardiness Zone 8-10 Flower Color pink, white, bluish, apricot Soil well drained Exposure full sun Propagation seed planted in fall flowers in spring North Carolina Regions Piedmont, Coastal Plain Comments It is illegal to grow opium poppies in North Carolina, but it is legal to sell and buy the seeds. . Opium is made from the milky sap of the fruit capsules. Take care that pets and children do not sample poppies as they are poisonous. Opium poppy reseeds and may spread in southern gardens. A "pass-along" plant of great beauty. Origin Greece, Asia

Prepared by: orginally by Alice B. Russell, retired Extension Specialist, NC State University
                     maintained and expanded by Erv Evans, Consumer Horticulturist, NC State University

Images: ©Alice B. Russell and Erv Evans

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