Scientific name: Papaver somniferum
Synonym: Papaver hortense
Family: PAPAVERACEAE
Common names: “Opium poppy” “dream plant” “fairy’s charms” “flower of Venus” “moonflower” “sweet slumber”
Plant Type: Annual
Conditions:
Zone: 8-9
Light: Full sun
Exposure: Sheltered
Soil: Average, less clay better
Moisture: Well drained
Aesthetic:
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Plant Size: H 3-4′ W 1′
Leaf and Stem shape: Heart-shaped leaves, the upper ones clasping the stem and with toothed, wavy margins
Flower: Single or double purple – red – pink – white flowers with petals surrounding a green, urn-shaped capsule with a flat cap, and many dark purple or yellow stamens, the capsule enlarges after flowering and makes a decorative cut flower fresh or dried
Maintenance: Low, sow seeds in early spring
Landscape use: Cut flower garden, cottage garden, gravel, prairie
Propagate: By seed
Pests & Disease: May get aphids
*Deer resistant
Comments: May cause drowsiness if sap gets on skin, traditionally used to make laudanum milk of poppy, cut flowers tend to wilt fast – burning the ends makes them last longer
