Dried poppy pods make an easy and exciting addition to dried floral and potpourri arrangements, making great homemade gifts! The Amazing fact about Dry poppy pods.
While baking with poppy seeds or using them in flower arrangements is a common practice, many individuals are unaware that growing certain kinds of poppy plants and acquiring their seed pods is illegal.
Dried Poppy Pods
Poppy seed pods make an eye-catching natural decoration, perfect for flower arrangements, wreaths, and other decor pieces. Available in many vibrant colors and sizes, the pods are harvested each spring before being dried to preserve them, then brushed with oil to enhance their look or painted with acrylic paint for various color effects.
Bakers use the seeds inside a pod to craft poppy seed bread, bagels, muffins, and other baked goods with poppy seed flavoring. You can add these seeds directly into the batter or sprinkle them over finished products. Furthermore, these seeds can also be used to craft poppy tea; to do this, pour hot water over crushed poppy seed pods and allow them to steep before straining off the liquid and straining out the remaining seeds before serving sweet tea, usually with milk as an accompaniment.
Opium poppy plants were first cultivated for their seeds in southern Europe and South Asia; since ancient times, however, they have also been grown for the milky substance that seeps out of cuts in unripe pods, known as “opium.” Scraping it from these pods and air drying produces an initial crude form of the drug; later, this material will be further processed into various formats, including morphine.
Poppy plants can only legally be grown for medicinal use in India, Turkey, and Australia. Opium is used for various medical treatments, such as pain relievers and sedatives, and for treating gastrointestinal distress, coughing, and asthma.
Poppy seed pods may seem harmless at first glance, yet consuming one is dangerous if ingested. Poppy seeds contain the natural opioid morphine that can lead to abuse and addiction; as this substance falls under Schedule II controlled substances, it could potentially even result in death if swallowed in large doses. For this reason, people must know exactly what they are purchasing or cultivating when buying or growing poppy pods.
Dried Poppy Seeds
Poppy seeds (Papaver somniferum) are harvested from mature seed pods and are commonly used to add color and texture to floral arrangements. Poppy seeds add a rich, nutty flavor to baked goods like bread. Poppy seeds have proven effective against diseases and infections through herbal medicine applications derived from them.
Allowing ornamental flowers or seed pods to air-dry is the easiest and quickest way to dry them ornamentally, especially those that contain low levels of moisture, such as Statice (Limonium), grasses, yarrow (Achillea millefolium), and poppy seedheads. Strip off its lower leaves before tying them with a rubber band in a dark, cool area with ample ventilation – this should take approximately one or two weeks until all parts have dried completely.
If you want to harvest your poppy seeds, the optimal time and condition for harvesting would be when pods have reached light brown coloration. At this stage of development, pods typically contain high concentrations of phenanthrene alkaloids similar to morphine. They should be carefully collected as their attention can change with season and growing conditions, making harvesting your pods the critical factor.
Poppy seed heads can be pressed or dried and used as decorative items, such as wreaths or bouquets, and an attractive addition to homemade potpourri. Dried poppy seed heads may also be mixed with other dried flowers, such as roses and Lagurus (Lotus corniculatus).
If you want to plant your poppies, sprinkle them in a garden area in autumn after clearing away weeds and digging in compost to enrich the soil. Poppy plants are prolific reproducers; every bloom that goes to seed produces multiple seeds that will self-sow into new colors. To prevent this from happening with your poppies, remove faded flowers as soon as they bloom to stop this cycle from repeating.
Poppy seeds come in various colors and can be purchased in bulk at most grocery stores or ordered online to be delivered to your door. Poppy seeds provide essential fatty acids, proteins, and vitamin A; they can also help lower cholesterol and blood pressure levels by acting as an excellent source of fiber.
Dried Poppy Seed Heads
Dried poppy pods add an eye-catching splash of color to floral arrangements and wreaths, adding vibrant accents of color that add depth and dimension. Perfectly complementing flowers like tulips, roses, or even daffodils and hydrangeas in arrangements and wreaths alike, or can stand alone as standalone decor pieces on tables and countertops alike, dried poppy pods add the perfect finishing touch to any collection!
Opium poppy (Papaver somniferum) is one of the world’s most potent natural narcotics and can lead to psychological and physical dependence. Historically, its leaves have been harvested to create drugs such as morphine and heroin – highly addictive drugs derived from this poppy plant.
Poppy plants are generally legal to grow; however, one species of poppy is illegal due to its production of opium, which is considered a Schedule II drug with a high potential for abuse and can lead to psychological or physical dependence. Regardless, some countries still utilize the poppy seed plant due to its medicinal qualities.
Poppy seeds and dried pods of the opium poppy are commonly sold in the US to be used in crafts, wreaths, and other decorative items. However, pods without seeds inside may contain up to one gram of opium per pound – these products are known as “dried poppy pods” and may be used to manufacture illicit drugs like narcotics or psychoactive.
At Austin-Bergstrom International Airport, CBP agriculture specialists and officers conducting international cargo inspections recently seized an undeclared package containing 5.7 pounds of Papaver sp. or poppy seed pods from manifested “dried flowers.”
Todd and Carolyn Anderson operated a website called “More Poppy,” They imported and sold pods from Hungary, known for producing high alkaloids. Unfortunately, the couple failed to register with the Drug Enforcement Administration as required by law before selling it; additionally, they sold it without an appropriate permit from Texas; they were fined $12,000 for misdemeanor violations. These illegal poppy pods may then be ground up into powder form and steeped with hot water to produce “poppy tea” or used directly as an injectable drug or even as an analphaphaphaphaphaphaphaphaphaphaphaphaphaphaphaphaphaphaphaphaphaphaphaphaphaphaphaphaphaphaphaphaphaphaphaphaphaphaphaphaphaphaphaphaphaphaphaphaphaphaphaphaphaphaphaphaphaphaphaphaphaphaphaphaphaphaphaphaphaphaphaphaphaphaphaphaphaphaphaphaphaphaphaphaphaphaphaphaphaphaphaphaphaphaphaphaphaphaphaphaphaous poppy pods may contain high levels of alkaloid, or be smoked, sniffed or injected as narcotic.
Dried Poppy Flowers
Dried poppy flowers add an elegant and striking touch to wreaths, floral arrangements, flower crowns, jewelry projects, and paper mache projects – even elegant centerpieces for special events or dinner parties!
The field poppy has long been associated with international symbolism of remembrance. Lieutenant Colonel John McCrae’s famous poem from 1915 cemented this significance into its delicate blossom: “In Flanders fields, the poppies bloom, Between crosses they march row upon row.”
Papaver somniferum, or the opium poppy, is an exquisite addition to any arrangement. Yet, only one variety produces highly addictive morphine-producing pods and stems – making its sale or harvest illegal under US federal law. DuPage County sheriff’s officers recently arrested Todd and Carolyn Anderson after offering dried poppy pods online, controlled substances regulated by the DEA, requiring those growing and harvesting such plants to possess licenses before selling or harvesting them.
Though less widely grown than field poppies, opium poppy seeds remain precious and are used in numerous ways, including making special bread known as “mohntorte” in Austria and Germany and curry recipes.
Opium poppy petals can also be eaten raw or cooked, both natural and cooked. Their delicate petals have a sweet, buttercup-like taste that pairs perfectly with any dish they grace; you may opt to consume whole petals or use them to garnish a word; more commonly, they’re removed from their seed pods and mixed with cream to form a poppy seed paste – perfect for decorating cakes, bread or other desserts!
One pound of poppy pods will typically range between golf ball- and baseball-sized blooms, with some larger or smaller depending on your preferences. This amount is enough for a 12-inch wreath or several bouquets and especially looks stunning when mixed with soft colors such as Oats (Avena) or Statice Tatarica.
Read Also: Exploring the World of Organic and Biodynamic Wine