My grandmother's poppies!

[JScott]

Okay, so my grandmother is 91 years old and she lives with me and I am her primary caretaker. She used to be a gardener back when she was physically able to do that kind of manual labor.

I've been getting the gardens ready for fall planting this weekend, and she asked me if I would prepare a small part of the bed so I could plant her favorite flowers, poppies. I didn't think much of it, and I told here I would do it, but then she showed me some pictures of the poppies she used to grow (she still has a ton of seeds she has saved), and I realized that they are most definitely Papaver somniferum (opium poppies), and now I'm not sure what to do.

She grew them most of her life and nobody ever noticed them, so it's probably safe, but what if somebody does notice? How much trouble am I going to be in? I know its a big deal if you scratch the pods to extract the opium, but I certainly won't be doing that. Does anybody here grow somniferum? Does anybody actually know the legal status of the plants when used strictly for ornamental purposes? I'd love to plant them for her, but I don't want to go to jail either.

Anybody have any thoughts?

[Dollythehun]

From the heart: Plant them. She's 91, honoring her will never make you sorry. Few people would even know what they were. I have a few of my Aunt's in my flower border... the police just drive by.

(JScott, you get the most interesting post of the month award.)

[jcec1]

They're really common here, in fact most people call them the Opium poppy.

There are no restrictions in growing them in the UK, although I think in the USA the legal position is ambiguous.

[estación seca]

Most larger flower seed companies sell seed. They are often called bread poppies. The cops will not notice in a mixed border.

[Ray]

My Ukrainian grandmother in Saskatchewan always grew them for baking.

She was PISSED when the RCMP came and ripped them up!

[Roberta]

I agree with DollyTheHun... plant them. Unless you live in a REALLY quiet neighborhood, the cops have better things to do than pick through people's gardens even in front of the house. Especially, if in the back yard, nobody has any reason to be there, I think that you will be quite safe. Back yard probably a better idea anyhow... not likely to be raided by the police, but you also don't want the neighbor kids picking them.

[Subrosa]

Most laws concerning them are based upon intent, similar to morning glories, which contains a compound closely related to LSD. Under federal law you can buy P. somniferum seeds for ornamental purposes legally in the US. I suppose state laws could vary on that.

---------- Post added at 04:49 AM ---------- Previous post was at 04:45 AM ----------

Originally Posted by Roberta

I agree with DollyTheHun... plant them. Unless you live in a REALLY quiet neighborhood, the cops have better things to do than pick through people's gardens even in front of the house. Especially, if in the back yard, nobody has any reason to be there, I think that you will be quite safe. Back yard probably a better idea anyhow... not likely to be raided by the police, but you also don't want the neighbor kids picking them.

Picking opium poppies doesn't do much good. To harvest the opium you need to incise the pod and collect the sap that runs out the next day.

[WaterWitchin]

Now a big crop of pot growing in your yard could cause quite a disturbance, depending on your state laws....

Poppies... I used to tend an adjoining 3x12 foot bed of them for my elderly neighbor before she passed. My grandma had a huge bed. Meh, you're fine. Get busy on that project grandson!

[Mr.Fakename]

A few days ago there was a discussion about licking hallucinogenic Colorado toads, and now tips about opium harvesting?

[Dollythehun]

You could also eat Datura pods. My husband is fond of saying "it's hard to make things foolproof as fools are very ingenious. "