Poppy is the common name for several related groups of flowers. The most important member is the white, pink, red, or purple opium poppy of China, India, and Iran. It has been raised in Asia since ancient times.
The flowers of poppies are admired for their delicate beauty and gracefulness. Breeders have produced many variations in the size and form of the blossom. Most kinds are hardy and easy to cultivate. The tiny seeds have no narcotic properties, and are sold for bird food. They also yield an oil used in preparing some foods. The oil cake remaining is a valuable cattle food. Poppy seeds are also used as flavoring. They may be sprinkled on bread and rolls, or used in filling for cakes.
The common corn poppy grows wild in the grainfields and grassy meadows of Europe. Many varieties of the corn poppy, including the Shirley poppy, are grown from seed in flower gardens. The Iceland poppy grows as far south as Colorado. Its long-lasting flowers are various shades of white, orange, yellow, rose-pink, and scarlet. The California poppy, or “cup of gold,” grows wild in the “Golden State.” The most showy poppy is the large-flowered Oriental poppy. This poppy’s red, orange, white, or salmon blossoms often have blackish-purple centers.
Many poppies are annual plants that can be grown from seed. However, the Oriental poppy is a perennial, and this plant is best transplanted by root sections. The poppy is one of the flowers of the month of August.
The drug opium comes from the young capsules of the opium poppy. These capsules are where the seeds develop. To obtain opium, workers scratch the capsules late in the day. The milky juice that seeps out solidifies overnight, and is collected the next day. It takes 120,000 capsules to yield 25 to 40 pounds (11 to 18 kilograms) of opium. 
