Identification

• A poppy is a flowering plant with a long, thin stem and big flowers with large, silky petals. Poppies are found in the wild, in gardens or in commercial poppy farms.
  
  

Size

• Though different varieties vary in size, most varieties peak between 1 and 2 feet tall. Some varieties are as small as 5 inches in height, and others may grow as tall as 4 feet.
  
  

Types

• Hundreds types of poppies exist all over the world. Each type of poppy may have a differently named subtype, which identifies its color. The most famous poppy is the opium poppy, followed by the California poppy and the Mexican poppy.
  
  

Fun Fact

• The opiates in poppy seeds have been shown to cause a false positive for opiate-based drugs on some drug tests.
  
  

Uses

• Highly addictive opiates are synthesized from opium poppies. Common drugs that are synthesized from poppies include heroin, morphine and oxycodone, more commonly known as the brand name Oxycontin.