Papaver somniferum is commonly known as the opium or breadseed poppy because it is the species from which both opium and edible poppy seeds are derived.
Poppies are flowering plants, both perennial and annual in the Papaveraceae family. There are 120 different species of poppy. The ones I’m constantly posting about are P. somniferum, so when you are buying seed look for that name.
This species is native to the eastern Mediterranean region, my dream location to reside. However, poppies have been cultivated since ancient times and are widely naturalized across much of Europe and Asia.
Papaver somniferum is grown as an agricultural crop on a large scale for three primary purposes: produce seeds for consumption, produce opium used by the pharmaceutical industry, and to produce other alkaloids that are processed by the pharmaceutical industry into drugs like hydrocodone.
What fascinates me is learning that there are different varieties of this species grown for each of those uses. Even the biotech industry is involved in breeding poppies!
The common name "opium poppy" is inaccurate as most of the varieties that we grow in our gardens do not produce a significant quantity of opium. In fact, the cultivar 'Sujata' produces no latex at all- I need to look for that cultivar!
Instead, call these “Breadseed poppies” as that is a more accurate common name because all varieties of Papaver somniferum produce edible seeds. This differentiation has strong implications for legal policy surrounding the growing of this plant.