Practical
Plants

Papaver dubium

Long-Head Poppy

an annual member of the Papaver genus in the family Papaveraceae.

No photo available

Taxonomy and growth

Genus
Papaver
Life cycle
annual
Height
0.5 m
Fertility
Self fertile, Bees, Flies, Beetles, Self
Flower type
hermaphrodite
Pollinators
Bees, Flies, Beetles, Self

Uses

Toxicity

Toxicity warning. The historical record reports a hazard for this plant. Do not use it to decide which parts are safe to eat or use medicinally.

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

This plant is toxic to mammals, though the toxicity is low[10]. The seed is not toxic[10].

Medicinal uses

Historical medicinal uses. These records describe reported uses. They do not establish safety or effectiveness. Ask a qualified health professional before using any plant medicinally.

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

The plant is sudorific[9].

Product or use
Diaphoretic

Environment

Range
Central and southern Europe, including Britain.
Habitat
A weed of arable fields, especially amongst cereal crops, and of waste places[3].
Light
full sun
Shade tolerance
no shade
Water
moderate
Hardiness
Zone 7+
Soil textures
sandy, loamy, clay
Soil pH
acid, neutral, alkaline
Drainage
well drained
Tolerates Nutritionally Poor Soil
No
Drought
intolerant

Propagation

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

Seed - sow spring in situ[6].

Cultivation

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

Prefers a well-drained sandy loam in a sunny position[1][6]. Does not do well on wet clay soils but succeeds in most other soils[2]. This species is possibly more tolerant of poor soils than P. rhoeas[3]. Plants usually self-sow freely when growing in suitable conditions so long as the soil surface is disturbed[8]. When growing in cereal fields, poppies decrease the yields of nearby cereal plants[4][5]. Members of this genus are rarely if ever troubled by browsing deer or rabbits[7].

References

  1. F. Chittendon. RHS Dictionary of Plants plus Supplement. 1956 Oxford University Press 1951-00-00

    ↩

  2. Johnson. C. P. The Useful Plants of Great Britain.

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  3. Clapham, Tootin and Warburg. Flora of the British Isles. Cambridge University Press 1962-00-00

    ↩1↩2

  4. Philbrick H. and Gregg R. B. Companion Plants. Watkins 1979-00-00

    ↩

  5. Riotte. L. Companion Planting for Successful Gardening. Garden Way, Vermont, USA. 1978-00-00 ISBN 0-88266-064-0

    ↩

  6. Huxley. A. The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. MacMillan Press 1992-00-00 ISBN 0-333-47494-5

    ↩1↩2

  7. Thomas. G. S. Perennial Garden Plants J. M. Dent & Sons, London. 1990-00-00 ISBN 0 460 86048 8

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  8. Bown. D. Encyclopaedia of Herbs and their Uses. Dorling Kindersley, London. 1995-00-00 ISBN 0-7513-020-31

    ↩

  9. Chopra. R. N., Nayar. S. L. and Chopra. I. C. Glossary of Indian Medicinal Plants (Including the Supplement). Council of Scientific and Industrial Research, New Delhi. 1986-00-00

    ↩

  10. Cooper. M. and Johnson. A. Poisonous Plants in Britain and their Effects on Animals and Man. HMSO 1984-00-00 ISBN 0112425291

    ↩1↩2

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