Papauer Poppy

Member of Poppy Family

Blooms: All summer

This beautiful lavender poppy is named "papauer somniferum". Isn't it just beautiful?

The Papauers are a genus of 70-100 species of frost-tolerant annuals, biennials and perennials native to North America. Colors are pink, orange, yellow, lilac and the Red Corn Poppy. Here in Texas we also have the wild Prickly Poppy which is white.

Ornamental poppies have been documented as early as 5,000 B.C. in Mesopotamia. Dried poppies have even been found in Egyptian tombs.

In Greek mythology, poppies were associated with Demeter, the goddess of fertility and agriculture. Ancient Greeks believed if poppies were planted among their crops they would flourish and produce more abundantly.

There are many medicinal properties of the poppies. They have narcotic alkaloids including morphine and codeine. Some have been used as a mild sedative. The Red Corn Poppy is know for it's opium properties.

"A merry heart doeth good like a medicine : but a broken spirit drieth the bones."

Proverbs 17:22