Are all papaver soniferum varieties opium poppies?

[Jim]

Alan,

I make it a practice to not eat anything from a cow field other than the cow...

[jason]

I was under the impression that opium poppies are techniqually illegal to grow, though nothing generally would happen unless you were caught processing the pods. There are however stories or whatever of people growing fields for dry arrangements and being investigated. I guess I would'nt worry too much about it, but you never know.

As for morning glories and lsa. I believe lsa is also scheduled so it's another of the things where it is legal to grow the plant but processing the seeds illegal. I think it is Ipomoea tricolor (the big blue types) that are generally considered active, but I've heard that the seed companies that write "not for consumption" on the packages put all kinds of nasty gunk in there to make people sick if they eat the seeds. Kind of interesting I guess.

I know this is getting a little off topic but whatever. Has anyone seen a Salvia divinorum plant? I think they are very beautiful, big dark green leaves. It's history is kind of amazing too. It hardly sets seed, and the seeds it does make never come true. That makes it seem like it is a chance hybrid between salvia species that has survived for who knows how long in one small area by rooting its stem. Pretty cool. Plants are incredible.

[Alan]

Yep, I grew some Salvia Divinorum plants here a couple of years ago, unfortunately I forgot about them and they perished in the cold frame in the fall of the year, I would really like to grow some more one day, they are absolutely beautiful plants.

-Alan

[landarc]

Alan,
To my knowledge, Salvia divinorum and Asian (Opium) poppies are discouraged due to invasive tendencies. There is no law per se, but, there is growing sentiment amongst gardeners that non-native species that have a tendency to naturalize are inadvisable. That said, I only avoid plants like these for liability reasons, and see no reason not to use them appropriately in a private garden.

[Alan]

I only plant the poppies around the greenhouses in the summer to keep from having to mow around the greenhouse in summer and to use for cut flowers along with the wildflowers I plant in the same area. When I was growing Salvia, they were all in pots and kept in a shaded greenhouse and never planted outside. I have witnessed the poppies self seed majorly though and keep multiplying, but if they get beyond 10 feet of the greenhouse they get mowed off long before they ever set seed, so that's good anyhow.

I do think it is important that someone keep some of the ethnogenic plants alive for future times, you never know if the system fails Opium may be some peoples only choice for a pain killer when having to pull a tooth or sew themselves up, I know I'm paranoid, but it could happen.

[Jim]

I don't think it's unreasonable to want to have natures original recipes incase of disaster. Plus they're nice to look at ( the flowers I mean)

[flowerpower]

Alan, let me know if you ever come across more S. divinorum. I'd like to keep one as a houseplant.

[Alan]

Will do, I have to make a trip to Louisville in early spring to buy seed, when I do so I'll make a quick stop by a friends house and he will be glad to give me a few.

[flowerpower]

Thanks Alan. I appreciate it.