As beautiful as poppies are, it would be convenient if you could just plant the poppy seeds from your kitchen cabinet - but ...

For centuries, poppy seed tea has been used for its narcotic, analgesic, antidiarrheal, or euphoric effects, or as a substitute for opiates. What are the risks associated with this herbal beverage?

In northern China, the poppy pod — referred to as da yan ke, or “big smoky shells,” after the slang for opium — is added to hot pot, the spicy stew cooked at the table.

Baking with poppy seeds and using the pods in flower arrangements are both common but few people know that growing a certain kind of poppy plant or possessing them is illegal in the United States.