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Opium poppies

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Mr_Singleton
Mr_Singleton Posts: 1,891 Forumite
in Gardening
Have just seen an image of an opium poppy.

Am I correct in thinking that they were pretty common in the UK? Am sure I used to see them growing wild in my teens.... or was it a different plant?
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  • TonyMMM
    TonyMMM Posts: 3,385 Forumite
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    Still common in many gardens
  • pogofish
    pogofish Posts: 10,852 Forumite
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    edited 25 November 2019 at 2:17AM
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    My 90-odd year-old mother still has a number popping-up every year in her garden. Originally from a flower bed planted by her dad in the approx 1920s.

    And yes, I’ve seen a few wild in places too.
  • Farway
    Farway Posts: 13,276 Forumite
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    I've never succeed with them, even though they spring up in pavement cracks at times

    BTW TonyMMM, in case your posting was drug related, UK summers are not hot enough to produce the hallucination stuff in the sap, one has to stick to magic mushrooms in UK;)
    Eight out of ten owners who expressed a preference said their cats preferred other peoples gardens
  • peachyprice
    peachyprice Posts: 22,346 Forumite
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    They are extremely common in the UK, particularly growing wild in London and certainly do contain 'active' substances.

    There was a story in the Daily Fail (excuse me for posting this) Not sure how true it is though

    https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2667253/Not-Afghanistan-Hampshire-How-opium-poppies-grown-UK-make-morphine-NHS.html
    Accept your past without regret, handle your present with confidence and face your future without fear
  • DebtFreeSeason
    DebtFreeSeason Posts: 5 Forumite
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    I've seen quite a few in the wild. Especially around London
  • unrecordings
    unrecordings Posts: 2,017 Forumite
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    Got a patch of around half a dozen here, they look fantastic when in flower

    Why am I in this handcart and where are we going ?
  • TonyMMM
    TonyMMM Posts: 3,385 Forumite
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    edited 25 November 2019 at 4:01PM
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    Farway wrote: »
    BTW TonyMMM, in case your posting was drug related, UK summers are not hot enough to produce the hallucination stuff in the sap, one has to stick to magic mushrooms in UK;)

    ............????

    they are a common garden plant in the UK ...feature in many mixed borders, who mentioned drugs ??
  • DigForVictory
    DigForVictory Posts: 11,910 Forumite
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    Seems they do grow & pointfully so
    Must accost a few wild blooms & see if I can persuade them that soggy Lancashire is a welcoming corner.
    Just remember It is illegal to produce opium from homegrown plants.
  • shortcrust
    shortcrust Posts: 2,697 Forumite
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    TonyMMM wrote: »
    ............????

    they are a common garden plant in the UK ...feature in many mixed borders, who mentioned drugs ??

    Asks the man who started a thread with opium in the title...:)

    To be fair to Farway it crossed my mind that the pleasures of the poppy might be on your mind. Interesting post about it being too cold here.
  • Davesnave
    Davesnave Posts: 34,741 Forumite
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    TonyMMM wrote: »
    ............????
    who mentioned drugs ??
    shortcrust wrote: »
    Asks the man who started a thread with opium in the title...:).
    Err....I may be completely out of my head on tea this morning, but from my brief research, it appears TonyMMM has never started a thread.


    Are you seeing things that aren't there? I remember that! :)
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