The poppy plant is of two types - annual as well as perennial. It even grows in containers and thrives almost in any type of soil. Since poppies can be grown easily from seeds they are used for self sowing. Poppies are quite sturdy and can tolerate frost as well as cool weather and moist soil is ideal for germination.

      Poppy flowers grow singly, in doubles or even as semi-double flowers. The colour range is varied and is available in both vibrant as well as subdued shades. The popular poppy colours are deep crimson, bright orange and yellow to soft pink.

      The annual poppy plant grows typically around 2-3 feet tall. They blossom in the latter part of spring and flower throughout summer. The colours are usually bright like red, purple, lilac and orange. A distinct and dark blotch can be found at the base of each petal. The perennial poppies are more varied in size.

      Poppies can be used as beautiful flowers for decoration but their bloom is very short-lived. The California poppies are used to make drifts of various colours in garden beds, as borders, and in the meadow greens. The pollen of the poppy flowers are used in cosmetics, however, the poppy is most commonly used as a hallucinogen.