A poppy plant is an annual plant that is used to produce many different things including homeopathic, holistic, and natural remedies as well as illicit drugs including opium and heroin, although most species of poppy are not able to do this. Poppies grow and blossom into pods that can be used as the base of several craft projects that can help carry memories of the garden into your house for the winter.
In the United States it is legal to purchase poppy seeds but all other parts of the plant (including the pods) are considered a schedule II controlled substance under the federal Controlled Substance Act of 1970.
The Opium Poppy Exclusion Act of 1942 bans growing of the poppy in many cases but is generally not a problem for gardeners as the plant is widely grown for the flowers and for seeds for replanting and cooking, and for much of US history poppies were a significant cash crop, with the government especially pushing for farmers to grow more poppies for medicinal use during wars up to World War I.
