Papaver somniferum MEDICINAL POPPY (50 seeds)

Opium Poppy, also known as Breadseed Poppy or Papaver somniferum in Latin, is an annual herbaceous medicinal plant native to Southern Europe and North Africa, belonging to the Papaveraceae family. It can reach a height of 60 to 80 cm by late summer and grows primarily on poor soils.

Opium poppy seeds are small, kidney-shaped, and measure 2 millimeters in length. They have a rough texture and are blue in color.

Flowering takes place during the summer period. Its flowers have 4 petals and can be white, lilac, or light pink with a dark purple center, or red.

Its fruit is a globular capsule. It is smooth, waxy, bluish-green in color, and topped with a small cap.

Its leaves are simple, entire, oval, stalkless (sessile), and narrower toward the top of the stem. They are slightly bluish and waxy.

- Use:

The botanical name "Papaver" means "sleep-bringer." In Asia and throughout the world, it is used for its pain-relieving virtues. It is cultivated primarily for therapeutic purposes. This is the case, for example, for morphine, which is its main alkaloid, used as a medication for its virtues against physical pain.
Do not consume for psychoactive or medicinal effects; cultivate solely for the preservation of the botanical species.

In cooking, its seeds are used in baking. They are a significant source of protein and fiber, as well as many minerals and trace elements such as calcium for bone health and blood pressure control, magnesium for the immune system, and potassium to fight fatigue.

- Germination and Sowing:

• The most favorable period for sowing opium poppy is from the month of May; before then, it will be too cold for them to germinate.
• Prepare a tray of good, fine horticultural potting soil and sprinkle the seeds on top.
• Cover them lightly with only one to two millimeters of substrate.
• Water the crop gently by spraying.
• Place the seedling tray in a greenhouse at a temperature near 30°C.
• Germination will generally begin 3 to 4 weeks after planting.
• Once the seedlings are 10 to 15 cm tall, they should be planted directly in the garden.

- Soil Type / Substrate:

This bluish variety grows in a very well-draining and rather clayey substrate. It is important to drain the bottom of the pot well. When planting, an addition of compost can be beneficial for the plant's recovery.

- Exposure / Light:

It thrives in full sun; it needs plenty of light to grow and bloom well.

- Temperature / Hardiness:

This annual resists high temperatures reaching up to 40 degrees very well; its hardiness is excellent. However, it will not survive negative temperatures.

- Watering / Irrigation:

It should be watered at the base; one watering per week will be more than sufficient during the summer. For pot cultivation, it is preferable to water every 2 days.

- Multiplication / Reproduction:

The only method of reproduction is by seed. Unfortunately, it cannot be propagated by cuttings.

- Pests / Diseases:

It does not really have predators or pests, except for a few slugs and snails when the seedlings first emerge from the ground. Regarding diseases, the leaves are sometimes attacked by powdery mildew; a small treatment with Bordeaux mixture is then recommended.

- Maintenance:

Cut off withered parts as soon as flowering ends, and harvest the seeds from the capsules for the following year.