Poppies are among the oldest documented drug plants known for their analgesic and narcotic properties. Five main opiates or opium alkaloids, viz., codeine, morphine, noscapine, thebaine, and papaverines, are generally known for their biological activity, but in addition to these alkaloids, many more alkaloids in hundred numbers make the alkaloid pool in genus Papaver. These alkaloids are biosynthesized from the amino acids phenylalanine, tyrosine, and 3,4-dihydroxyphenylalanine. This review aims to jot down tyrosine-derived biosynthetic alkaloids from cultivated Papaver (opium) species. Many poppy species as Papaver bracteatum Lindl., Papaver rhoeas L., Papaver dubium L., Papaver pseudo-orientale Medw., Papaver orientale L. etc. are cultivated for their commercial pharmacological, food, and aesthetic utility. But some species are also non-commercially grown for ornamental purposes. In addition to major alkaloids, viz., codeine, macambridine, morphine, noscapine, oripavine, papaverine, rhoeadine, salutaridine, thebaine, and isothebaine, nearly 99 tyrosine-derived minor alkaloids are reported from cultivated Papaver. These minor alkaloids, though present in minute quantity, provide additive biological activity and thereby help in enhancing therapeutic value.