Common poppy

What does Common poppy look like?

The common poppy is an upright annual plant, reaching up to 70 cm tall. Its stems are covered with coarse hairs. Each stem holds a single flower, 5–10 cm across, with four vivid red petals that often have a black spot at the base. The petals overlap slightly and last only a day. The plant produces many flowers in a season. Its seed capsules are smooth and egg-shaped. Cultivated forms can have pink, orange, yellow, or white flowers. When the plant is damaged, it releases a white to yellowish sap.

Where does Common poppy come from?

Papaver rhoeas grows wild across north Africa, temperate Eurasia, and parts of Asia, often in disturbed soils like fields and roadsides. Its exact origin is uncertain, but it has been linked with agriculture since ancient times. The species was formally described by Carl Linnaeus in 1753. Over time, it has spread to temperate regions worldwide, thriving as a weed and as a garden flower. The name 'poppy' comes from Latin and Greek roots.

When and how Common poppy blooms

The common poppy flowers mainly from late spring through autumn, especially where the weather is warm. It grows from seed, often germinating after the soil is disturbed. The plant prefers open, sunny spots and tolerates a range of soils. Garden varieties are raised from seed, and some, like the Shirley poppy, have been bred for new colours. The plant forms a long-lived seed bank, allowing it to reappear when conditions are right.

How Common poppy is used

People grow the common poppy for its bright flowers in gardens and wildflower mixes. Its black seeds are edible and used in some breads and pastries, though most culinary poppy seeds come from a related species. The petals yield a red dye for medicines and wine, and dried petals colour potpourri. In folk medicine, poppy petals were used for syrup and mild remedies. The flower is a major symbol of remembrance for fallen soldiers, especially in the Commonwealth.

Kinds of Common poppy

Several forms of Papaver rhoeas exist. The Shirley poppy is a garden cultivar with pastel and mixed colours. The variety himerense is native to Sicily, while the subspecies polytrichum grows in the eastern Mediterranean. A nearly black hybrid, 'Evelina', was bred in Italy but is not widely available. Wild forms are usually red, but cultivated poppies can be pink, white, orange, or yellow.

What Common poppy means

The common poppy is a powerful symbol. Since World War I, it has stood for remembrance of soldiers who died in war, especially in the UK and Commonwealth countries. In China, it is linked to the legend of Consort Yu and symbolizes loyalty unto death. In Persian and Urdu poetry, the red poppy stands for love and martyrdom. The flower appears on coins, stamps, and banknotes, and is the county flower of Essex and Norfolk in England.

Traditions that use it

Where to see Common poppy

🇯🇵 Furano · Jun to AugLavender fields of FuranoHillside lavender farms in central Hokkaido, at their purple best in July. 🇮🇹 Pienza · Jun to JulSunflower fields of the Val d'OrciaRolling Tuscan farmland south of Siena where sunflower fields open from late June between wheat, cypress and clay hills. 🇮🇹 Castelluccio di Norcia · May to JulThe flowering of the Castelluccio plainA high plain in the Sibillini mountains where lentil fields and their wild flowers colour the ground in bands from late May.

Days and festivals

Questions people ask about Common poppy

Good reading and sources

• Encyclopaedia BritannicaArticle
• Flanders poppy 'a symbol of heroism, not of opium'South China Morning Post, Article
• Plants of the World OnlineRoyal Botanic Gardens, Kew, Plant database
• Where it has been recordedGBIF, Plant database
• Sightings and photos by naturalistsiNaturalist, Plant database

• Papaver rhoeas on WikipediaEncyclopedia
• More photos on Wikimedia CommonsPhotos
• Wikidata recordOpen data