'Charlottesville Old' Poppy

Papaver somniferum Origin: Charlottesville, Virginia Improvement status: Cultivar Seeds per packet: ~250 Germination tested 11/2024: 95% Life cycle: Annual This tall, bi-color variety of opium poppy is believed to trace back to the gardens of Monticello — but like most other crops attributed to Thomas Jefferson these were only returned to Monticello in the 1980s when it became a museum and center for the study of historic plants. If this indeed traces to the days when Jefferson enslaved hundreds of African and African-descended people, the seeds must have been maintained by local Charlottesville residents for more than a century. Flowers are vibrant scarlet red with a dark indigo pattern near the center. Plants will readily re-seed themselves and grow to about 3-4’ tall provided they get adequate space, water, and nutrients. Our seeds were grown by our friends Kass McKinnon and Clint Freund of Cultivating the Commons.Poppy seeds are not only edible, used in treats both savory and swee