HCA: Hermit Crab Association

Are poppies safe? My niece just picked some orange poppies from a neighbors yard and I was wondering if I could give a flower to my crabs. I looked on the safe plant list and didn't see it so I'm not sure. I know about poppies and what they are used for but I don't know if that would also affect crabs.

I would avoid it. They can eat poppy seeds, but I think that is a very specific type of plant that is edible. But honestly, I don't know for sure that it is bad, but I have some in my yard and there are never any insects (also invertibrates) on them so that makes me nervous. If you try it anyway, let us know how it goes.

I'm not that big of a risk taker to try it without someone else trying it and saying it was OK first. I'm not even sure which type of poppy it is, it kinda looks like an oriental poppy but then again it doesn't. These ones have more petals and don't have black spots near the center but they are the same color orange and the actual center looks the same.

I'm pretty brave with food trials, but didn't feel comfortable with this one yet. Better safe than sorry, unless someone who knows says it is okay. If you google "oriental poppy + toxicity" the reference material gives reason for uneasiness. Low toxicity to mammals. Might be different for invertebrates, like I said, but since bugs don't flock there I'd be very cautious.