All parts of poppies, except the seeds, are toxic. File photo.
The plant sales are here and gardeners are revving up. You may have some questions. For answers, turn to Ask an Expert, an online question-and-answer tool from Oregon State University’s Extension Service. OSU Extension faculty and Master Gardeners reply to queries within two business days, usually less. To ask a question, simply go to the OSU Extension website , type it in, and include the county where you live. Here are some questions asked by other gardeners. What’s yours?
Q: Can seeds from garden poppies be used like the ones you buy for baking? – Lane County
A: Poppy seeds for baking come from Papaver somniferum, commonly known as breadseed or opium poppy. This is the same poppy that opium comes from and while it is legal to grow them in the garden and buy and sell the seeds, it is illegal to manufacture opium from them.
Before Papaver somniferum seeds can be used in baking, they are carefully dried and prepared. This process also removes the possibility of serious side effects by greatly reducing the amount of the opium alkaloid they contain that allows them to be legally used in your kitchen. All parts of poppies except the seeds are toxic, but they can be easily contaminated if not prepared properly. This is something that should only be done by a reputable company, so it is important to only buy poppy seeds for use in baking from one of these companies.
So, no, garden poppy seeds should not be used in baking. Instead, save the seeds to plant and grow more poppies in the coming seasons. California poppies are terrific plants that are native to Oregon and attract bees.
More information on breadseed and California poppies:
Top 10 Oregon Native Plants for Pollinators: California Poppy
Papaver Somniferum: Breadseed or Opium Poppy
--Jan Gano, OSU Extension Master Gardener
Q: I wish to ask about the Pyrus calleryana. Is this on Oregon’s nuisance tree list? I’ve been reading many articles about the ornamental pear tree and how it has taken over empty fields, forests, wetlands and farmlands throughout the United States.
It has become a huge nightmare in some of the Southern and Midwestern states. Officials in South Carolina have added the Callery Pear/Bradford Pear tree to the state plant pest list. Ohio is banning the sale of the tree starting in October 2024. Other states are working on similar legislation.
What is the status of this tree in Oregon? I know that it is currently being planted by developers as a popular street tree in many Oregon communities. In fact, it lines the street of the new housing development into which we moved a year ago. I am hopeful that the state of Oregon will make it illegal to continue planting this tree. – Washington County
A: Callery pear has invasive traits that enable it to spread aggressively. This tree is under observation and may be listed on official invasive species lists in the near future. A review of risks should be undertaken before selecting this tree for planting sites. The various cultivars of this species are more commonly available than the species itself. Callery pear has a weak wood and branch structure and is susceptible to ice storm damage. Here’s some more information. – Chris Rusch, OSU Extension Master Gardener
False lily of the valleyOSU Extension Service
Q: These are taking over my fern garden! What are they? – Clatsop County
A: That is false lily of the valley (Maianthemum ditatatum). This plant is an Oregon native that spreads via creeping underground roots and can become invasive. False lily of the valley likes moist to wet soil and shade. It is a perennial.
Here is more information. – Linda Holmes, OSU Extension Master Gardener
How can I plant around these roots?OSU Extension Service
Q: We are clearing an area for a vegetable garden. The entire area is under landscape fabric/weed barrier and several inches of river rock. When we cleared the barrier and rock, we found very large tree roots. We think they belong to a tree that is no longer there. (We are new to the house.)
The closest plants are large yuccas and rhododendron. Can we remove the roots? Can we move the yuccas? The yuccas are approximately 8 feet tall. – Benton County
A: The following information about transplanting yuccas is from the Arizona Extension Service:
“Most yuccas can be dug, the injured and diseased roots pruned off, and transplanted immediately or held in shaded, open-air storage for a few days to allow roots to heal. Pruning the tops is not recommended. The transplanted plants can benefit from a shade cloth draped over them. Remove the tarp at the first signs of establishment and growth. Transplants may take years to reestablish in their new locations. Do not apply fertilizer to newly transplanted plants. "
As for the roots, I agree that they seem to be from a tree that was previously removed and not from your existing landscape. Removing those roots may prove to be hard and time consuming. Depending on your soil type, you might consider bringing in garden soil and putting raised beds over the roots. The roots will eventually decompose on their own. You could also use a powered auger to dig holes for vegetable transplants. Master Gardeners throughout the state are holding plant sales where you can get vegetable starts as well as other landscaping plants. You can find a plant sale in your county here. – Deborah Kern, OSU Extension Master Gardener
Azaleas like filtered shade and do best with morning sun and afternoon shade. File photo.
Q: I have a 20-year-old exbury azalea that rarely puts out more than one to two blooms each season. It is planted in morning shade and filtered afternoon sun and is well mulched. Even using low nitrogen fertilizer and fertilizer for acid-loving plants, as I have been doing for years, will still not make it bloom. The plant appears healthy and is loaded with new spring growth. What else should I be doing to help it bloom? – Polk County
A: There are a number of reasons that an azalea may not bloom well, the most common being weather and untimely pruning.
Check your plant through the season to see if there are any flower buds that form but fail to open. This could be a sign of winter damage, or possibly other environmental stresses related to summer heat and drought. Azalea roots tend to be shallow, so it is important to keep three to four inches of mulch across the root zone (but not directly against the trunk). And while azaleas enjoy a good watering, make sure there is good drainage since they don’t like soggy, compacted soil.
If there are no buds at all, it may be because the plant is getting too much shade. One Extension source indicates that azaleas “like filtered shade and do best with morning sun and afternoon shade. They especially need some protection from our hot July and August afternoons.” Also, be sure to prune soon after the normal bloom time ends. Any later pruning may remove the flower buds for the next season. Fertilize after lightly blooming but continue to limit the nitrogen since it can produce a lot of vegetation at the expense of blooms. – Lynne Marie Sullivan, OSU Extension Master Gardener
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