Poppies are salient ornamentals with vivacious , showy blossoms beloved by gardener . Two specially attractive species are oriental poppy ( Papaver orientale ) and opium poppies ( Papaver somniferum ) . They search similar , with crepe - papery petal and marvellous , unattackable stems . But the differences are patent once you begin watch about them . For starters , opium poppy are illegalto growin the U.S. unless you have a license adjudge that you are not cultivating them for output of narcotics .
Oriental Poppies
Oriental poppiesare perennial plant that produce huge , crepe - petaled blooms in vivid pinks , reds , orange tree or Patrick White . peak appear in May or June on stem up to 4 feet magniloquent . The flowers only last a week or two , but their lulu is dramatic and even magical , contrasting beautifully against the finely cut , downy foliage . The industrial plant go sleeping in midsummer or later summertime . They rise best in areas with cold-blooded winters , as in U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 2 through 7 .
Opium Poppies
Opium poppieslook quite standardised to oriental poppies , with their big flowers with crinkly petals borne on tall stems . Flower form range of a function from simple four - petaled to those with deeply fringed petals . They can be blue , white , pinkish , mauve , lavender , raspberry , maroon , red - orange or bicolored , and often have a contrast dark spot at the foundation of the petals .
Opium poppies are annuals , discharge their intact life-time cycle within one calendar year , not perennials . That does n’t mean they need replanting every twelvemonth though . These annual resow themselves and naturalize as wildflowers . Opium poppies thrive in USDA zona 6 and 7 , and they drop petals quite speedily after blossom .
Differences and Similarities
If you desire to memorize to enjoin oriental and opium poppies aside , you ’ll postulate to reckon closely to notice the differences . Oriental poppy leaves are brilliant green and finely cut . They do not buckle the poppy stem . Opium poppy leaves have a gray or dreary hue mixed in with the green . The all-inclusive leaf bases do clasp the poppy prow . Flowering time are also more or less different , with opium poppy opening in spring while oriental poppies flower in in early summer .
The uses of the two plants are also very unlike . Gardeners acquire oriental poppy for their magnificent beauty , time period . They reckon fabulous in the garden , ask little more than sunshine and well - drained soil , and make lovely indoor cut prime . Although it is illegal to growopium poppiesin this country to make narcotic drug like heroin , they are grow in other countries for this purpose . Opium poppies are also responsible for producing the poppy seeds that bring so well on gem and bagels , while oriental poppies are not edible . In fact , most parts of the plants are poisonous , which is why they are not browse by cervid .
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