The Royal Tasmanian Botanical Gardens (RTBG) has pulled seeds for growing poppies used in the production of heavy-duty painkillers from its shop after realising it was selling a prohibited product.
Manager of garden David Reid confirmed that the Papaver paeoniflorum or "Black Poppy" seeds were previously sold in the RTBG's gift shop.
The seeds were purchased by the RTBG from a seed distributor, as part of a routine order.
The poppies, which look like a pretty garden flower, contain alkaloid compounds that can be refined into serious pain medication like morphine and codeine, and can be toxic to humans if ingested.
The devil is in the detail
It's believed the RTBG became aware it had seeds for sale illegally after a Hobart flower farmer was raided by officers from Tasmania's Department of Natural Resources and Environment.
Kate Dixon inadvertently planted two restricted species of poppy, Papaver somniferum and Papaver bracteatum, and was selling them to retailers for wedding displays.
Fifty plants were taken from her property during the raid.
Ms Dixon said she was shocked and feared others might have fallen into a similar trap accidentally.
Little did she know, the RTBG had made a similar mistake, selling prohibited seeds to unsuspecting customers.
Poppies can be returned
It's believed both Ms Dixon and the Royal Tasmanian Botanical Gardens bought the seeds from the same local Tasmanian supplier.
In a statement, the Department of Natural Resources and Environment said the seed supplier was investigating how it came to distribute the illegal poppy seed packets.
The supplier is now working with the department to raise awareness and education among nurseries and retailers.
Anyone who purchased the poppy seeds from the RTBG was urged to return the packet to the gift shop to be destroyed, with a refund or seed exchange offered.
A lucrative crop in Tasmania
Tasmania is the world's largest producer of legal alkaloids.
At this time of year, thousands of hectares of Tasmanian paddocks are carpeted in the pretty pinkish-white flowers grown by farmers under tight restrictions and licences.
The crop is tightly controlled due to the potential for misuse and poisoning.
The Department of Natural Resources and Environment is planning a seasonal education and awareness campaign on poppies targeted at nurseries and garden clubs around the state.
The campaign will remind gardeners that sometimes, flowers are "not your average poppy".
People who grow or possess poppies are responsible for making sure the flower species can be legally grown without a licence in Tasmania.
More information is available on the department's website.
