Poppies
Papaveraceae Family
Poppy Identification
Poppies are grown throughout the country as both perennials and annuals. They are found frequently in wildflower gardens and flower gardens. Poppy heights vary from 5 inches to 4 feet tall. Most poppies grow in clumps of leaves or mounds and the flowers are hidden in the leaves. Other poppies grow more openly and free from a smaller base or stem. Most poppy leaves are bluish-green. They are lobed and covered with tiny hairs. After the petals fall away, large round seed pods emerge.
Types of Poppies
There are over 50 different varieties of poppies. Here are some examples:
Oriental poppy
Red poppy
Opium poppy
Allegro poppy
Celandine poppy
Prickly poppy
Opium Poppies
Opium poppies have been grown for centuries to produce large quantities of latex that can be found in the poppy fruit. When the latex on the pods of the poppy dry, opium is created. Opium is a source of a lot of problems in the world, but it is also an important medicine. The United states declared Opium poppies illegal in 1942, with the Opium Poppy Control Act of 1942. Opium poppies can still be seen in old ornamental gardens throughout he world. However, it is illegal to grow them in the U.S.
Parts of a Poppy Flower
Sepals
The sepals are the outermost part of the poppy. In early stages of development the sepals look like to partially joined orbs. These orbs gradually lengthen and split when the poppy is ready to bloom. The sepals are light green during early growth stages, but they eventually turn beige nearing the end of their life. When the poppy is ready to bloom, the sepals detach from the stem and fall away when the poppy has bloomed.
Petals
Poppy petals are crepe- paper like in hues of yellow, orange, red, pink, purple, and white. They come in many different designs. The design depends on the poppy variety. Petals also differ with each variety. Some petals are single, double, semi-double, tulip, and peony shaped. The petals main job is to attract insects to assist with pollination and to attract birds.
Stamen
The stamen are attached to the poppy petals. The stamen are the male reproductive portion of the poppy. Each stamen is made up of fine whitish filaments that help support the anther, which carry hundreds of grains of pollen needed to fertilize the flower. Once pollination occurs, the stamens fall away along with the wilting petals.
Pistil
The pistil is the female reproductive organ in the center of the poppy. The melon shaped ovary is situated at the bottom of the bloom, and is surrounded by petals and stamens. These help to protect it during early formation stages. Tiny hairs coat the outside of the ovary. They point upward to a very short stem that supports the stigma. The stigma is what receives the pollen in turn fertilizing the ovary. The star shaped stigma is coated often with nectar and very tiny hairs.
Ovary
The ovary begins to develop while the bloom is still being covered by the sepals. It starts out in a cylindrical shape. Once pollination occurs, the ovary will begin to swell due to the ovules fusing with the pollen grains. This forms seeds that will continue the propagation of the poppy. In opium poppies, the ovary contains latex. This substance contains raw opium. This opium is then used to create drugs such as morphine, codeine, and illegal heroin.
Poppy Growing Conditions
- Poppies like well drained soil and full sunlight.
- Poppies have a shorter bloom span compared to other flowers. Because of this, it is recommended that you plant poppies in a garden bed with other flowers that will bloom all year round.
- You must dead-head if you want to prevent seeding or spreading.
- If you let your poppies seed, they will spread naturally and nicely.
- It is okay to cut the stems back to the ground when the plant dies.