Papaver somniferum "Lilac Single": 5 grams of a single-flowered poppy
Papaver somniferum, the opium poppy, is an annual that asks very little of you. Lilac Single is its single-flowered, lilac-pink form: four loose petals around a darker centre, rather than the stuffed pompon of the double cultivars. Descriptions of this form put it at roughly 60 centimetres tall and some 30 centimetres across. Once flowering is over the plant shows its second face, the seed pod, greyish-green to silvery, held up on a firm stem and every bit as good in a dried arrangement as it is in the border.
The seed itself is tiny and kidney-shaped, and 5 grams is a great many of them. That makes broadcasting more sensible than spacing them out one by one: scatter the seed, thin the seedlings later, and let a few pods ripen at the end of the season so the plant largely sows itself next year. The seeds contain no psychoactive substances; the fully grown plant does contain a number of alkaloids described as sedative. Bear in mind that the rules around this plant differ from country to country, so check what applies where you are before sowing.
Growing them
- Pick a spot in full sun with free-draining, fertilised soil. A pot works too, as long as the roots have room.
- Sow between September and April. If winter frosts are common where you live, wait until late winter or early spring: plants raised from autumn or winter sowings can still be killed by later frosts.
- Scatter the seed over the soil and cover it with a very thin layer, barely more than a dusting.
- Water well until the seed germinates and keep the soil moist afterwards. Something usually starts showing within a week.
- Go easy on water at the start, or the roots may begin to rot. Thin the seedlings afterwards so every plant has space.
Storage and things worth knowing
Keep the packet dry, cool and dark until you sow; that is what preserves germination best. Store it out of reach of children. We sell this seed for cultivation and study. If you decide to use plant material anyway, that is your own responsibility.
The same exotic seeds category at Avalon Magic Plants holds Papaver rhoeas (common poppy), Papaver dubium (long-headed poppy), Papaver argemone (prickly poppy) and Eschscholzia californica, the Californian poppy. Every order leaves our warehouse discreetly packed.
