what type of poppy is illegal to grow
Poppies are legal to grow in the United States, except for papaver somniferum. Among the many varieties of poppies, only opium poppy (Papaver somniferum) is illegal to grow in the United States.This native of Europe prefers the Mediterranean climates found in U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 8 to 10.t is illegal to grow Papaver somniferum in the United States because the unripe seed pods contain the milky substance that is scraped out and dried to become opium, so possession of the plant can be looked upon as possession of the drug.