Bread Seed Poppy
Jun.27, 2010 in
In the Garden
Closeup of a bread seed poppy and pod capsule
Port Townsend is awash in poppies now. We’ve always had them but this year they seem to be taking over the city. This is a bread seed poppy also known as an opium poppy. They’re legal to grow but not process for drugs of any kind. Let the pods (capsules) dry and they contain about a half a teaspoon of seeds each, the kind you use in baking.
June 27th, 2010 at 8:37 pm
Gorgeous detail. Beautiful shot.
June 27th, 2010 at 8:56 pm
Beautiful flower! love that deep red color.
June 27th, 2010 at 9:34 pm
Stunning! I love that you have different stages of the poppy in the same shot
June 28th, 2010 at 3:21 am
Oh boy oh boy, would I ever LOVE to have some of those seed pods. What a gorgeous color.
My macro ORANGE HIBISCUS
June 28th, 2010 at 4:51 am
OH! I LOVE the colour of your bread seed poppies! I have several shades of pink but this is gorgeous!
July 5th, 2010 at 8:44 pm
I was just in PT this weekend and noticed that poppies were growing everywhere, but none of the locals could tell me if there is any history or story behind them. Does anyone know any thing about this?
Thanks! PR
July 6th, 2010 at 8:08 am
There have been some poppies around since I got here in 90. At that time, however, the major wildflower growing along streets was chicory. Both thrive in our climate.
Starting in the late 90s we had two major sidewalk construction projects, along F and San Juan Streets. A couple of gardeners living on F Street threw a lot of poppy seeds out onto the newly bared soil. The poppies thrived. Others followed that lead. Then poppies seeds were sown along Discovery Road, the new Larry Scott trail and below the Sims Way bluff.
In the housing boom of the 00s poppies got planted in newly owned gardens because they provide instant color. Since they self-seed and grow quickly, that color can last from May to November. Though that peaks in June. I know two landscapers who put poppies in new gardens. Since poppies self seed and since those seeds are tiny and easily wind strewn, they spread.
Some residents consider it a town beautification project to collect poppy seeds and strew them about. Each year for the last 5 or 6, we’ve seen more and more poppies. It’s to the point now that many gardeners consider them weeds.
July 8th, 2010 at 5:43 pm
Thanks for explaning things!
Paul