The Poppy

The poppy is a plant that is popular to gardeners, the seeds and the oil is important in many types of foods, it is also used to make certain medicines and for illegal drug use. There have been records of using the poppy plant since approximately 4000 BC; the ancient Greeks, the Egyptians, the Romans and other ancient civilizations have used it. They knew of its medicinal values and took advantage of these opium properties for sleep, in surgeries, using it as a hypnotic, as well as for its seeds and oil.

In the botanical world the poppy also stands out with as many as 200 different species of the flowers. They are used in gardens and range and colors of red, orange, pink, yellow, white, there are species with pastel blooms and there are also blooms of the colors such as blue and purple.

This is a hearty plant when planted from seed directly into the ground, although it is not a plant that the seed can be started in the home and transplanted. Transplanting seedlings often ends with a slow growing plant or one that will die before maturity. Otherwise this plant is able to grow in different soils as long as they drain, if it is able to stay moist and they are tempered to hot and cold. This is why the poppy is a popular plant for gardeners; it is also a plant that has been chosen for its medicinal properties throughout the centuries, because it is able to grow in different soils and climates.