If they are indeed Opium Poppies, you could be arrested for drug possesion or similar charges, as it is illegal to grow them in the USA (I'm assuming you are in the USA, if not it may not apply).

Note that there are many species of poppies that are not Opium poppies, and are harmless in that regard. Do you know which ones you have??

As I understand it opium is made by injuring the seed pod and collecting the sap that oozes out and cooking it down. There are probably strains that have been bred to ooze more sap, but I think the ones available commercially will give you better flowers and seeds and no sap.

I grow poppies for the flowers and I used to use the seed in a sugar syrup to make a pastry filling. Now we have goldfinches. They perch on the poppies and as the stalk waves back and forth the eat the seeds out of the pods. They are too cute to chase away, so now I buy my poppy seed filling.

To answer amazon's question, the unripe seed capsules do contain morphine and eating a couple could poison a child. If you have very young children who would likely eat something like that, you might be concerned.
On the other hand, seed capsules in general aren't particulary attractive to kids. They don't really look like something you would eat. Several years ago a major medical journal had an item about a mentally disabled person who died after "browsing" yew leaves. The medical writer advocated "removing all hazardous plants" from the grounds of all facilities with mentally disabled people. Unfortunately, he didn't realize how unrealistic that is. Better to keep an eye out.

Sorry, I didn't mean to scare you with my first reply, but, to inform. The subjet of growing poppies is a legal quagmire. Here is a clip from the DEA website itself as to what can happen:

- INTELLIGENCE ALERT -

19,000 OPIUM POPPY PLANTS SEIZED IN SAN MARTIN, CALIFORNIA

On July 22, 2004 the DEA San Jose Resident Office and the Santa Clara County Sheriff’s Office seized and destroyed approximately 19,000 opium poppy plants growing near San Martin. The poppy plants were growing among other flowers on 11 acres close to U.S. Highway 101. A local florist rented the land to grow a variety of flowers, including the poppies, for his business. The florist allegedly did not know that growing opium poppies was illegal, and sold them from his flower shop in bouquets of 7 to 10 flowers. Law enforcement officials found no evidence that the poppies were being grown for illicit purposes, as there were no attempts to conceal the plants as well as no evidence that the plants had been scored. The investigation revealed that other florists in the area - also allegedly unaware that growing opium poppies was illegal - have been growing opium poppies as well. As a result of this incident, a local florists’ association was planning to send information to area florists advising them that growing opium poppies is illegal.

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Granted, they were commercially growing them,so that made them more 'suspect' of illicit activities, but homeowners are also on shaky ground if they are planted in your yard.

In the current litigeous state of American life and 'The War on Drugs', you could be sitting in jail in without a moment's notice - for 15 years and a $25,000 fine, according to a few websites, just because of their existence in your yard. Better not to have them at all.

I am not a lawyer, but I would contact one if you wish to continue growing them in your yard, to get informed about all the legal ramifications of having these plants.

If you want to know whether or not your poppy flowers contain "narcotic" alkaloids, just chew a few seeds and hold them on the tip of your tongue. If you get a numbing "buzz", they're the real thing.

At that point, don't EVEN get caught scoring the buds with a dull knife. The phloem that oozes out is pure opium alkaloid and THAT is illegal!

I had a little old Polish lady who lived beside me for several years. I turned my entire front lawn into a garden including the foot that boardered her driveway, I felt her driveway was the end of her property, she felt she still owned 1 foot over, directly in front of my house... A small silent war that was fought by her ... cutting down all my poppies only 1 foot within her driveway!! I would howl with laughter to see 3 poppies cut down, and then 1 only inches away spared because it was further then 12 inches from her driveway!

Oh well, if it let her sleep at night who was I to make a big deal out of it?

We are in Canada, I am certain she thought they where illegal!