PAPAVER somniferum is the species of plant from which opium and poppy seeds are derived. Colors of the flower vary widely, as do other physical characteristics such as number and shape of petals, number of seeds, production of opium, etc. Poppy flowers are native worldwide and have been prized not just for their stunning beauty but for their medicinal history as well.

Use of the opium poppy predates written history. Images of opium poppies have been found in ancient Sumerian artifacts (circa 4000 BC) The narcotic properties of opium have been know since the days in ancient Egypt when it was used as a sleep-inducing medicine. In ancient Greece, an extract made from the PAPAVER somniferum plant was drank as a pain killer and referred to as 'poppy-wine' by the Greek physician, Hippocrates. The modern name 'opium' comes from the ancient Greeks who called the milky sap 'opion.'

Pictured here is a PAPAVER which has just recently lost all it's petals. A single plant will have 5-7 stems such as this.... each w/ it's own seed-pod....definitely one of the more interesting seed-pods in my gardens. While it is a perennial (comes back every year) it does not self-sow in my gardens....a good thing since the average number of seeds per plant (seen here surrounding the core) can be upwards of 10,000.