Papaver somniferum: Opium Poppies - UK Guide

In this video, we'll be looking at Papaver somniferum or Opium Poppies - from seed to flower, some of their characteristics, and their aesthetic value. We'll look at the context and background of this controversial plant and how and why you should grow it and enjoy it.
Flowering Plants videos playlist on my new channel: • Flowering Plants

[@nathanielanderson4898]

That bee is never going to make it home.

[@robertwiegand9927]

Haha,

[@alexpearson8481]

😂👌

[@leonleon765]

Where can I find honey from poppy bees?🥸

[@jerrylanglois7892]

Will probably get stopped for d.u.i.

[@1980bwc]

Who needs a home after that?! 🤣

[@ShaneMclane-PrivateEye]

I like it when you let the music cut off for a little bit and let the sounds of being outside in the garden on a beautiful day be heard. Very relaxing.

[@PrentisHancock1]

Thank you, Shane!

[@RainHavok1111]

That fat bumble bee is LOVING LIFE!!🐝🌸

[@Cavemankind_]

That honeybee is having a great time rolling around in morphinoid pollen.

[@lisamarie8700]

Glad you gave the bee some good air time! 😁 Beautiful pops you have!!

[@PrentisHancock1]

Thank you, Lisa Marie!

[@geraldstahlman7036]

How pretty can it get?; Thank you for showing your volunteers! God bless you!

[@PrentisHancock1]

Thank you Gerald. You are so kind!

[@petermartin8756]

Poppy flowers only last a couple of days but are so beautiful, bees go into ecstasy rolling around on their backs as they gather the pollen going round and round… my poppy’s are a metre high with multiple heads and range of colours from pink to cherry red…

[@nicolecatlin1942]

I BET that bumble bee is having himself a fantastic time in that flower. Looks like he might just move in as long as it's there and I don't blame him!!!!😁🤗

[@PrentisHancock1]

I'm glad you enjoyed it, Nicole!

[@nathanielanderson4898]

That is exactly what I want. I decorative scattering. Something to keep my garden vegetables happy.

[@PrentisHancock1]

Hi Nathaniel, I scattered a load of seed all over the alleyway and they are coming up everywhere! We're all too ready to weed them out because we often don't know what they look like when they are young, but now, I can identify them really easily and know to leave them. Thanks for your comments.

[@yuriprigozin7497]

I grow them solely for their aesthetic value, honestly I will put my hand on the book of the iron age war god and swear it..combining them with hot water and ammonia has never ever crossed my mind at all not even once

[@yuriprigozin7497]

Only a criminally minded scumbag would think of that process

[@yuriprigozin7497]

But it's ok and fine when drug companies do it cos they worthy unlike the criminal scum who have been doing it

[@celtickshatriya4306]

All the great poets agree 😂😂😂

[@gwens5093]

Harvest of seeds for tea, helps people cope with winter blues.

[@PrentisHancock1]

Thank you, Gwen S! I did not know this. Sounds good!

[@influennzapyloric4073]

0:28 Opium poppies do not produce heroin. But they do indeed make morphine. People in laboratories extract opium from the poppy. Then they extract morphine from opium. Then they produce heroin using the morphine.

[@TokeE420]

Diamorphine* Heroin was just the name of a German brand that sold diamorphine tinctures just like permit in was a brand that sold methampethamine.

[@influennzapyloric4073]

@@TokeE420 they extracted morphine from the plant and turned it into diamorphine. They didn't extract diamorphine directly from the plant

[@TokeE420]

@@influennzapyloric4073 I know since dia-morphine is just short for diacetylmorphine which is what you get from boiling morphine with acetic acid. I was just correcting the term Heroin.

[@jerrylanglois7892]

Come on, opium poppies do not produce heroin they produce the opium needed to produce heroin, morphine, laudanum, etc.

[@celtickshatriya4306]

It is extracted from the bud pre flower by using a sharp blade and slices to the bud,it is then scraped off and boiled down to make a black tar which is opium oil, all from the same family of opiates diamorphine morphine codeine etc.

[@dollyperry3020]

Very well done!

[@PrentisHancock1]

Thank you, Dolly! You're very kind.

[@samuelstacey2309]

Love the track playing between 4:30 and 5:00. Tasteful guitar playing

[@PrentisHancock1]

The track is by Unicorn Heads, and is called "Modern Situations", from the KZbin music library. I used it for many of my gardening videos.

[@samuelstacey2309]

@@PrentisHancock1 cheers for taking the time to reply mate. Will be adding to my library now 😉

[@fabster7271]

Thank you 👍

[@AlkaloidMushrooms]

This is the real MAGIC !!

[@jerrylanglois7892]

Great video ! Yea, '' the bee is having a great time ''... opium makes me feel the same way !

[@modelnaturephotography]

Poppies need light to germinate, in my experience growing poppies they seem to grow well in the indirect light of a crevice and free from damage to there tap roots by other plants and once they are established respond well to feeding up, it seems like you have to imitate the conditions of poor soil but give them the benefit of great soil for best results, great video 😀thanks.

[@PrentisHancock1]

Lots of sunlight is a significant factor. Soil quality less so, and I find I don't need to do any tending to them for them to grow - not even any extra watering. They are one of nature's survivors!

[@PrentisHancock1]

You are correct, Bobby. My experience is definitely my experience.

[@cesartoledo5621]

@ghettobabyjesus he called you Bobby, ahahaha. Your comment was unnecessary.

[@bobbiejofouts1708]

I'm interested in growing poppies so I can make my own dry cuts to have on hand for pain-relieving teas. Do you know if a specific variety is known to be more helpful for pain-relieving teas than others? Are they similar enough that it makes little difference? Thanks.

[@modelnaturephotography]

@@bobbiejofouts1708 I would say if you intend to go down that route make sure you have all the information first and do your research, levels of morphine in the same variety of poppy will vary year from year and there are other factors such as tolerance to opioids and matching levels of pain. Obviously, some varieties of Somniferous poppies contain more morphine than others and there are poppy varieties genetically engineered to contain large quantity of morphine for pharmaceutical use, personally I grow poppies because they are my favourite flower and find Persian Pinks to be more than enough for myself.

[@PaulBrown-uj5le]

Bees absolutely love the poppy.

[@amwartwork]

ive got one growing in my garlic patch. didnt sew the seed. ita beautiful. its getting ready to flower. its a good 6foot high

[@PrentisHancock1]

Has it opened yet? Is it a single or a double?

[@ianm5864]

They will grow bigger in more fertile soil. I think the whole idea that they prefer poor soil is because it restricts competition with grass, which thrives in fertile soil.

[@PrentisHancock1]

You might be right. But then again, I've found them growing in the weirdest of places, like in the cracks in the pavement, and still managing to grow huge.

[@ukh1405]

I’ve grown many poppies - they grow everywhere - they do well in fertile and infertile soil - but my biggest brightest poppy so far this year is grown in fertile well draining ground

[@williambock1821]

They like well drained soil. If it has lots of available nutrients, all the better.

[@danielgonzalez-yp7hi]

@@williambock1821how do you think they would go growing in coco perlite & fed Mary Jane nutrients?

[@cesartoledo5621]

I loved the beautiful bee 🐝 he was swimming In pollen… 😂

[@gregorteply9034]

Happiest bumblebee ever recorded.

[@Artificial-Influencers]

Social media has social engineered people to be greedy with social media companies money. If you like and subscribe and follow as many channels as possible it cost you nothing. Every clip regardless of the content should be viral. Spread the love.

[@copperridgegrow3940]

I grow them every summer mixing them in with other types of flowers to conceal them a bit. 😉

[@digoshow2829]

Awesome pretty plants. When do they usually bloom and when do they form fruits/bulbs?

[@PrentisHancock1]

Thanks D I G O Show! Seeds can be sown January -April. Flowers form from June - October. Seed heads mature about 6 - 10 weeks after flower dies back. These approx for England.

[@digoshow2829]

@@PrentisHancock1 thank you very much now I can search for them and identity in the wild. Keep up the good work!

[@benhall2235]

@@digoshow2829 In Oxfordshire there is a huge plantation being grown for the pharmaceutical industry. It’s not even fenced off. I’ve driven between two of the fields surrounded by poppies as far as the eye can see.

[@1980bwc]

I saw one of these bees chilling on a sidewalk in downtown Detroit the other day.

[@PrentisHancock1]

I've heard several times Americans say that bumble bees are rare. Here in the UK, we have billions of them.

[@bocifersmith4281]

ohhh double opium poppy. The double poppy petals are so gorgeous

[@PrentisHancock1]

Yes, the doubles are really pleasing to see. The two featured in the video were really good. Thanks for watching.

[@antoneckhart4010]

@@PrentisHancock1 have you known people in the UK to make raw opuim? not the gov, just regualr person?

[@PrentisHancock1]

Hi Anton, no, I have not. I'm not interested in that and I don't advocate that. This is not that kind of channel.

[@geargeekpdx3566]

Some more tips... scatter a lot of seeds in small areas. they start very fast and lean on each other and crawl along the ground at first and can be damaged by watering! Cover them for the first 3 weeks with a transparent plastic to preserve moisture and dont water from above until they are producing leaves. start them outdoors very early covered in patches or large containers. they are very weird plants! Easily shocked and stressed so once started don't try and replant or move them around. once they flower the petals drop in 3-5 days and once that occurs you have a short window of less than 3 days to score the bulbs with razor or sharp electronics tweezers and not too deeply youll see the milky light brown latex immediately once scored and let dry on bulb before gently scraping off. you don't get much per bulb so if you have any intention of commercial level production you will fail unless you have acres of them and its a full time job!

[@PrentisHancock1]

This is not that kind of channel and I do not condone the information you have given.

[@ChiTownGuerrilla]

Awesome! Beautiful garden! I'm planting mine Sunday! 😀 How many weeks until they produce opiate alkaloids? Curious so I know when to keep my animals and kids away from them.

[@modelnaturephotography]

I think up until 32 days the poppy leaves are safe to eat and delicious in salads, after that they start producing harmful levels of the thebaine alkaloid.

[@hundun5604]

0:29 heroine is morfine. Anyway, I grow cannabis plants for their aesthetic value. 😇

[@jking5662]

Hi prentis, your pink flowered variety looks extremely similar to a large plant growing in my garden. There are many seed capsules & they are round, not triangular. Does that mean it contains an opiate. Does 4 petals indicate one way or the other?.

[@PrentisHancock1]

Hi J King, without seeing it I'd be guessing. What I can say for sure is that it is the sap from cutting the seed head that contains the opiate, not the seeds.

[@jking5662]

@@PrentisHancock1 Thank you Sir for taking the time to reply. I will investigate further. Great channel with fantastic tips & info. Thank you again & take care. 👍

[@bobmarley6161]

Hi I planted lots of seeds I gathered last year from poppies that were growing in woodland nearby... I think they are oriental poppies.. I have literally so many dense close together shall I leave them or thin them out... Best regards and stay safe

[@PrentisHancock1]

If you want them to grow big, thin them out. Thanks for watching & I'm a big fan - I've got all your albums!

[@giovannimarino7449]

Hi i live in england and would love to try growing these are they potent when harvested thanks for video kind regards from essex

[@PrentisHancock1]

If you're implying what I think you're implying, I don't condone it. This is not that kind of channel.

[@ajhproductions2347]

Hey I had a question I can not seem to find an answer to. In late winter I planted a ton of poppies. They shot up and got absolutely huge, over 5 feet tall. It’s September now and none of them bloomed over the summer like I was anticipating. I found out they’re annuals so they only bloom once a year.? I’m in Colorado, it snows in the winter and gets hot in the summer. Any idea why they didn’t bloom over the summer??

[@PrentisHancock1]

Hi A J H, did they receive any water or was it drought conditions for a long time, such as 8 weeks or more?

[@behindthespotlight7983]

8:21 🐝 “Found one! YIPPEE!”

[@paulaharrisbaca4851]

I love the bumblebees 🐝. In California they are pretty rare. I bought poppyseeds when I was about 17 but they never sprouted. Either they were irradiated seeds which I would had no way of knowing or I just lacked a green thumb. Speaking of which, do poppyseeds you can buy for baking ever sprout?

[@PrentisHancock1]

Hi Paula, thanks for your comments. I didn't know bumble bees were rare in different parts of the world! Baking poppy seeds are just ordinary seeds but you won't know what variety they are. They are untreated so they should sprout without a problem. I just scatter them wide and thinly.

[@PaulBrown-uj5le]

If you see this Paula I can tell that they will 100% sprout because I've done it, the only thing is you won't know which type you have until they flower, mine ended up being pink with a purple patch on the petals.

[@hermonorossco7988]

I think they need to go through a freeze in order to sprout

[@BigBBigTrees]

Actually I’ve tried multiple times in Utah to grow, but was never successful. I was finally able to get some to sprout today! I bought 3 packs, 2 somniferum and 1 oriental. I have an artificial light for germination. Basically I filled up a pot, laid the seed, put more potting mix on top of the seeds. Got it and kept it wet, allowed the light to go for 8 - 12 hours a day to help mimic real sun light. It took 7 days for germination to start. I’ve seen videos with germination starting in as little as 2 - 3 days, but also have heard the quote “10 - 15 days, with a cold period” which sounds completely wrong. Honestly the one thing I would have done differently. Leave the light on for 24 hours a day until germination, because I get the feeling these would have sprouted at least 2 days sooner.

[@BigBBigTrees]

BTW Utah is known as “The Beehive State” lol. It’s not true there’s way more bees in Oklahoma.

[@ChasingDragons420]

Recreational use is medicinal too. There's just no a-hole doctors to say no.

[@stuartsheppard7318]

totally agree,almost have to be terminal in australia b4 a doctor will prescribe codiene here a-hole is too polite

[@bobbiejofouts1708]

Do these plants put their roots deep? I'm trying to find out how deep the pot needs to be if I don't put the seeds in the ground. Thanks.

[@PrentisHancock1]

Hi Bobbie Jo, no the roots don't go very deep at all. When you pull the plants up, you wonder how they manage to stand at all.

[@jakefilmore]

​@@PrentisHancock1I was told by a grower of the Afgani type that they have a long tap root, yes or no?

[@PrentisHancock1]

I don't know if they're different in Afghanistan but I doubt it. They might grow bigger with more sun and thus put down deeper roots but overall, if you can still pull them up easily, then that's what I call shallow roots.

[@wandasinger7713]

Great video. Can they take full sun? I just got some from our local garden center, bare root. I plan to plant them in pots. I live in Northern California and our summers are hot. Thank you

[@PrentisHancock1]

Hi Wanda, yes they can. In California, I'd say water them every day with a watering can with a spray rose on. Thanks for watching. :-)

[@PaulBrown-uj5le]

Wanda what do you mean bare root?.

[@barrykozak3536]

You ever have any luck in growing the poppies?

[@yuriprigozin7497]

That bee has found a new home..he means

[@BadgerBabyBoy]

I planted lots of seeds they are all very crowded. If I should thin them out what size should they be before I do it? I often kill plants by thinning them, they die approximately a few days later if I remember correctly

[@PrentisHancock1]

Try leaving them in twos and threes. That way you'll minimize soil disturbance. Do this while they are still below 5cm in height.

[@daylinlott5723]

​@@PrentisHancock1If the young plants are a couple of inches tall?

[@PrentisHancock1]

Yes.

[@thomasmcdougall8059]

What's the best months to start the seeds in the UK I'm up in Scotland

[@PrentisHancock1]

Hi Thomas, March or April outdoors, or February if you start them early indoors in compost and transplant them out in late April or early May. That is if you want really big ones.

[@thomasmcdougall8059]

@@PrentisHancock1 could i start them just now and still get flowers next year

[@PrentisHancock1]

Hi Thomas, you can grow any plant at any time of the year if you give them their ideal growing conditions, such as heat, light and water. But if you're growing them outside, it's not really worth scattering any seed now until probably March or April.

[@bakedbean37]

@@thomasmcdougall8059 A little bit late I know but, for anyone else who may be interested, you can sow poppy seeds towards the end of the year. Some will germinate and grow a little and then "overwinter" themselves to be off to an early start the following year. Others will germinate in the spring and give you a second flush of flowers after the first lot finishes. I didn't sow any seeds this year and had a good mix of earlies and lates that had all seeded themselves. Somniferums are now the predominant "weed" in my garden :-) In places they come up so densely I have to thin them out.

[@bobmarley6161]

Hi should I deadhead as soon as the petals fall off... Best regards and thank you....

[@PrentisHancock1]

Hi Bob, if it is a nice poppy that you want back for next year, do not dead head it. Leave the heads to dry out, and turn brown. When they are completely dry and you shake them, you'll hear the seeds rattling inside. You can then harvest the seeds by turning the head downwards into a container and shaking them until they all come out - like shaking a pepper pot. Once you've done this you can then pull out the whole of the dead plant. If it's a poppy you don't want back next year, pull and dispose of the whole plant without waiting for the seed heads to mature. Thanks for the question and good luck.

[@bobmarley6161]

@@PrentisHancock1 thank you so much for your advice much appreciated... Also during the summer as a flower dies should I cut it off to encourage another to grow.... I'll definitely save and scatter the seeds..... Best regards and stay safe

[@PrentisHancock1]

It's not really necessary to cut a flower head. The plant will have already decided how many heads it is going to produce. After the first flower, you'll see how many are immediately behind it. It's usually all over for the flowering stage in about 2 - 3 weeks.

[@bobmarley6161]

@@PrentisHancock1 thank you so much for your help very much appreciated..

[@v-uplink]

Ex ewwe eswe❤w❤❤❤

[@-sens-yw3jf]

do they need to be germinated or can i just plant them

[@PrentisHancock1]

Hi 20-20sens, you can do it either way but I just scatter the seeds without covering them. If you want to improve their chances, scatter them then scatter a thin soil covering. If you germinate them indoors and then move them outside, as I said in the video, they might stunt because they don't like their roots being disturbed. I've already had a couple of failures myself this year. I guess it depends on how much you can minimise that disturbance? There are other channels who are experts who do a better job of this than me.

[@-sens-yw3jf]

@@PrentisHancock1 cheers for your help

[@Raw_Roots]

I find it a bit strange our elected officials have the say so over natural plants.

[@jerrylanglois7892]

Yes, same for marijuana and tobacco.

[@dandylandpuffplaysminecraf8744]

Golden brown from the Stranglers would be more appropriate. Never a frown with Golden Brown.

[@Luke-px4px]

Explaine?

[@philipfish50]

Hi I can’t believe that you can grow theses in the uk but you can’t grow weed it doesn’t make sense

[@PrentisHancock1]

Ha ha! Who says we can't grow weeds?

[@philipfish50]

Hi I mean you can grow opium poppy for decorative purposes so why can’t you do the same thing with cannabis plants cheers

[@PrentisHancock1]

You can. The only problem that arises is if you get caught!

[@lilaclilly198]

Would have better to have info and a video on how to grow these poppies . 😱

[@fernandocoellobellido1671]

Que tierra esmejor??

[@cindynichols1342]

Amazing gift from God.

[@jerrylanglois7892]

Yes, opium poppies are the only reason I believe in '' god ''.

[@maineoutdoorsman677]

Look a5 that bee it's roll8ng around like it's wrestling with the flower ,🌹

[@PrentisHancock1]

Could bee!!

[@groovytuesday6883]

How long can the seeds be stored before sowing?

[@PrentisHancock1]

Hi Groovy Tuesday, I've had lots of seeds work which were over three years old, so provided you store them dry in a cool and dark container, they'll probably keep for several years.

[@donrogers776]

looking for Papaver somniferum seeds - any suggestions Prentis?

[@Luke-px4px]

Supermarkets? Arab shops?

[@2judge1]

What strains of poppy has the heroin alkaloid in? I was told the queen's poppy may have, don't know if that was the strain used in Afghanistan for production. Not a lot of information out there about the alkaloid content in each poppy strain.

[@danielgonzalez-yp7hi]

Papavor somnerferium is what I think your looking for , but they don’t have H alkaloid, that can only be made by mixing chemicals, they do however have Morphine & other alkaloids

[@rsxtypesmobbin8661]

I wish Someone could bless me with some fresh pods for pain...

[@King4taday]

My god England has some monster bumble bees

[@robynmarler1951]

Come on man. No-one has this many poppies by accident.

[@PrentisHancock1]

Ha ha, it was no accident! I don't have quite so many this year!

[@user-mn5gg5cr6q]

How to refine the opium to swag?

[@PrentisHancock1]

This is not that kind of channel, Craig.

[@coltenmatthues2716]

Is it legal to grow opium poppys in the united states aslong as its just for gardening and cosmetic purposes? Like basically is it okay to grow them for there beauty in the united states as of right this current moment?

[@usernamesta3334]

Yes completely legal to grow poppies

[@kushmeals4904]

Where can I get seeds ?

[@PrentisHancock1]

From the poppy heads! Or from garden centres.

[@jerrylanglois7892]

Or go to your nearest heroin dealer.

[@PrentisHancock1]

This is not that kind of channel. I do not condone your comment.

[@jerrylanglois7892]

@@PrentisHancock1 Which comment ?

[@britneyalyssa1314]

Can you still harvest the stunted poppies?

[@PrentisHancock1]

Hi Britney, yes, you can.

[@britneyalyssa1314]

@@PrentisHancock1 but it probably won’t be as potent right ?

[@PrentisHancock1]

You're very naughty! I couldn't possibly condone what you are implying.

[@britneyalyssa1314]

@@PrentisHancock1 oh I see you’re talking about the seeds not the medicine gotcha

[@carolfreeman2962]

You are showing two or three different kinds of poppies. Which is which!

[@PrentisHancock1]

What do you mean, Carol? They were all Opium poppies. The majority I was showing were singles, and there were two doubles at the end.

[@mp_mia7989]

Too small. Not enough room brother.

[@PrentisHancock1]

They did ok last year. This year, same spot, I've got hundreds coming up!

[@mp_mia7989]

@@PrentisHancock1 okay. But if you till down 1 and a half feet so the soil is really loose, they'll get soooo much bigger. Also if you keep em 6in away from other weeds (cause poppys are weeds) and plants, they'll have 6-7 pods per plants.

[@PrentisHancock1]

Thanks for the advice. I wouldn't call them weeds though, not unless they are growing where you don't want them to grow.

[@amwartwork]

its illegal unless the government handle it. pfffft

[@heidiroekke3836]

The music takes so much away from what you're saying.

[@dinosanchez8528]

They dont produce heroin themselves, thats a semisynthetic.

[@user-zv8lr3vc5r]

Ĥellojnsìŕ

[@Fjodor.Tabularasa]

Man so much weed in your garden

[@PrentisHancock1]

Yes, it was quite weedy at the time, but I can assure my viewers there were no "weeds"! This is not that type of channel.

[@Fjodor.Tabularasa]

@@PrentisHancock1 excuse moi

[@waynemolloy4250]

I came here because I'm a heroin addict 😮

[@PrentisHancock1]

Wayne, this is not that kind of channel and I do not condone your comment.

[@waynemolloy4250]

@PrentisHancock1 losing up its a joke

[@MarkFugitive-]

😂 ​@@waynemolloy4250