Common Weeds Often Confused for a Somniferum Poppy Sprout
There’s a Weed that grows in most USDA Zones (below Zone 10) that appears to be almost identical to a Poppy Sprout.
So much so, that it used to fool me a lot when I first started Growing Poppies- so to the un-trained eye, it can be difficult to detect the difference between this Common Weed, and a Poppy Sprout.
VIDEO: Somniferum Poppy Sprouts
A good look into Sprouts of Somniferum Poppy Seeds
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So, below is a photo that was actually Uploaded to us by one of our Customers who was struggling with finding ANY Poppy Sprouts – In fact, they gave up & killed everything off before we had a chance to reply, and went on to believe we sold them FAKE Seeds.
When in fact, there were Poppy Sprouts in EVERY Photo they sent us. They just failed to recognize them (or, we failed to reply in time -sorry).
So the least we can do, is use this guilt, to help future gardeners like YOU!
All Somniferum Sprouts will have a very faint, Blu-ish tint compared to other weeds – and it’s Stem will be so thin, that it may appear to be ‘Flopped Over’ on it’s side. This is completely natural, as it creates room to “Flex” later in life when their Pods make them Top-Heavy.
THINNING Poppy Sprouts;
06/12/2017 @ 7:55 am
This post is extremely helpful. In the poppy bed the imposters look very similar to the untrained eye. Many thanks!
06/12/2017 @ 8:25 pm
Thanks! I have taken some more recent Pics of of “Poppy Copies“ which actually evolve as you continue to “Thin” your Garden, and it’s as if these Weeds begin to figure out which Plant isn’t being weeded out, thus causing them to further “Mock” the Poppy by either Appearing like one, or hiding very closely behind them. (I will try to post these Pics soon on this Page – so check back soon)
Some of these look so much like Poppies, that unless you had a good 10 years of growing them, you wouldn’t know the difference.
Now I know why I’ve had crazy people claim to have had a completely different plant grow to maturity, but it wasn’t a Poppy.
I call them “Crazy”, only because nobody wants to admit they were fooled by a “weed”, so of course: “I SOLD them ‘FAKE’ Poppy SEEDS”. (is what they claimed) LOL
Which, would practically be impossible (and VERY expensive) to create. I mean, really.
Some people. But, yeah, this happens, and I try to help all I can.
But not everyone cares to look at our Blog (which I don’t create for the money obviously – do you see any Advertisement Banners?)
LOL Anyways, thank you for Self-Educating yourself, and appreciating the time & effort we put into our Posts.
Hope this Helps!!
-OrgBot
04/05/2022 @ 5:08 pm
Hello from Texas! I bought some of yalls somniferum seeds, shit about 2 maybe 3 years ago from the big momma poppy that had all those seed heads and I planted some when I got em in spring (now I had no clue what I was really doing ie stratification nor what a poppy sprout really looked like so when they came up I plucked them thinking they were maybe weeds and like an idiot just kept looking for them to sprout..nothing… lol fast forward 2-3yrs after research and finding out yeah I was positively an idiot for sure, I winter sowed the rest of them in a milk jug along with some I found at lowes plus I cast some mixed with a wildflower mix I had and not only did all those sprout so did the ones that I sowed before, now I got poppies comin out my ass of both kinds and even though the ones I bought from this place (organical botanicals in Washington) were like 2- 3 maybe 4yrs old they are hardier than the lowes hungarian blue buddah strain and the one main thing I learned about sowing poppies is PATIENCE but winter sowing them they sprouted immidiatly but you cant let them get but maybe 1-2inches tall maybe 3 before transplanting cause the taproot is still small, any longer and they are dead plus they dont really like transplanting but it is possible. I just planted most in a clump cause I waited too long rather than seperate them out and risk sure death anyway I had read a lot of negative comments about yall and those seeds and just thought you good folks at OB would like to hear some positive news about them, I will try and send photos and such if possible but to all those negative nancys “know your song well, before ya start singin” and thank you all at Organical Botanicals for the good genetics and may peace be with you!