Common Poppy
Common Poppy
Wildflower
The scarlet field poppy whose seeds can sleep in the soil for decades — the flower of Remembrance.
💡 Fun Facts
- Its seeds can sleep in the soil for decades, then burst into flower when the ground is dug up.
- That is why poppies covered the churned-up battlefields of World War One — and became the flower of Remembrance.
- A single poppy can make tens of thousands of tiny seeds.
📅 Through the Year
- Flowering:June to August
- Fruiting:August to September
Name Story
Papaver rhoeas
means “Poppy — probably 'the one whose petals quickly fall'”
likely meaningScholars aren't sure of the roots. 'The petals that fall' is the usual reading, with 'pomegranate-red' as an alternative, and the name Papaver itself is of uncertain origin.
What does its name mean?
- Papaver — poppy (an old name of uncertain origin)Latin
- rhoeas — perhaps 'falling/flowing', perhaps 'pomegranate-red'Greek
A field poppy opens for just a day, then its crumpled scarlet petals drop and blow away — which may be why its old Greek name hints at 'falling'. Others hear 'pomegranate-red' in it instead.