Papaver
bracteatum
Great Red Poppy
In
a Victorian story, a witch turns a ruddy-faced, black-eyed plowman
into one of these flowers so that he might meet a princess as she
walks in her garden. Consider this plant, then, for shapeshifting
and for invisibility.
This perennial Moon herb is the ancestor of the Oriental hybrid poppies. It is larger and sturdier than Orientals, though, and is one of the largest poppies there are. It contains very small amounts of the alkaloids morphine or codeine but relatively large amounts of thebaine, another important alkaloid used in medicine. At one time it was considered as a potential commercial source of codeine in the US, but it has never actually been exploited in that way. It comes from Southwest Asia but has long been a familiar naturalized plant in Britian. It blooms in late spring/early summer.
It grows 40"/101cm high, and its
fern-like leaves get up to 18"/45cm long. The
flowers are 4-7"/10-17cm wide and are usually red or orange but can
sometimes be pink or white. It
likes well-drained soil It's good for the north but not in the far
south (zones 4-8). Although this is a different species from P. somniferum,
it will hybridize with it, so keep this in mind if you grow them both. This
plant is also known as great scarlet poppy and scarlet poppy. Top 
How to grow Great
Red Poppy:
Sow the seed by pressing it lightly into soil but not covering
it. Keep moist and at cool room temperature. Once it germinates, it is happier at
cooler temps. It will be ready to transplant at 4-6 weeks. General growing
info Top
Papaver bracteatum
Great Red Poppy
500
seeds $3.25
Uses in Witchcraft & Magic:
Moon Herb
© 2004 Alchemy Works; No reproduction without permission