Poppies for Remembrance Day

Belcarra Garden Club
BC, Canada

Poppies for Remembrance Day

by Nora Boekhout

image from Seedscape

With Remembrance Day soon upon us, it seemed appropriate to do a little garden investigation into the poppy flower! I was surprised to learn that there are more than 700 species and over 40 genera in the Papaveraceae family! Most seem to like bright conditions and moist but well-drained soil. Just a little warning here… many poppies are toxic to humans and pets due to alkaloid compounds.

poppy
photo by Richard Lam

Papaver rhoeas is the “Shirley Poppy” or “Flanders Poppy” which grows wild in Europe. It is the signature flower for Remembrance Day. It was inspired by the poem “In Flanders Fields” by Canadian Lieutenant Colonel John McCrae in 1915. The wild species is a bright red with black center, 9-18in. tall, and hardy in zones 1-10. Although it is an annual, it spreads seeds so freely that it performs as a perennial. It likes full sun and a moist but well-draining soil.

Oriental poppy - photo by gardeningexpress.co.uk

The very popular Oriental poppy, Papaver orientale, has orange, red, or salmon-colored blooms with black centers. It blooms in June and July and has hairy stems and feathery foliage. It is native to Turkey and northern Iran. It grows 20-36in. tall and is generally hardy in zones 3 to 9. The foliage disappears in the summer, but new basal leaves make a showing in the fall.

Opium Poppy - photo by Ariel Cabrera Foix

The infamous Opium poppy, Papaver somniferum, comes from Turkey and can have pink, red, purple, or white flowers. The foliage is gray-green, and it is 3-4ft. in height. An interesting myth from the Himalaya says that poppies grew where Buddha’s eyelashes touched the ground. It used to be a common plant in English cottage gardens and was included in bird seed. When properly distilled, it produces the pain-killer morphine, but that requires a huge crop! On the other hand, it is also used in poppy seed cakes and muffins. The seeds need light to germinate, so don’t cover them with soil.

Iceland Poppy - photo by Tom Meaker

The Iceland poppy or Arctic poppy, Papaver nudicaule, is boreal and native to sub-polar regions but does not grow in Iceland! It prefers the cooler zones 2-7 and appreciates regular fertilizing. It grows 12-24in. tall and comes in many colors including reds, oranges, whites, and pinks. It is excellent for cuttings in vases.

Himalayan poppy
photo by Richard Lam

The lovely blue Himalayan poppies, Meconopsis grandis, have large petals (up to 5 inches across) but are quite difficult to grow. They prefer partial light, woody terrain, and a cool mist. They are hardy in zones 3-7 and grow 3-4ft tall.

Welsh Poppy
photo by Mark Van Manen

The Welsh poppy, Meconopsis cambrica, has bright yellow flowers and is native to Wales and Western Ireland, as well as the Pyrenees. It blooms all summer, and the Basque people call it “gold of the mountains”. It grows 12-24in. and is hardy in zone 6.

California Poppy
photo - Steve Whysall article

The California poppy, Eschscholzia californica, is another popular and easily grown poppy. It is a North American native, so well suits a wildflower garden. The petals are a bright orange, and the foliage is blue-green and fernlike. It is hardy in zones 6-10 and grows 12-18in. tall. California poppy teas and tisanes are made to promote relaxation and sleep but in moderation!

Bloodroot
photo from Espace pour la Vie

Bloodroot, Sanguinaria canadensis, is a surprising member of the poppy family. This native flower prefers a shady habitat and is great for a wildflower garden. It has white flowers and is unusual as its leaves and flower stalks emerge directly from the ground. It gets its name from the reddish-orange color of its sap when the roots are cut.

Tree Poppy
photo by Randi Rhoades

The Matilija poppy, Romneya coulteri, is also known as the Tree poppy. It has white, wrinkly petals with bright yellow stamens that bees love. It is an aggressive grower, spreading by rhizomes underground, and can be 6-10ft. tall! It prefers dry, desert-like conditions and is hardy only in zones 8-10.

wood poppy

Wood Poppy - photo by Alex Zorach

greater celandine

Greater Celandine - photo by Alex Zorach

lesser celandine

Lesser Celandine - image from thelandtrust.org.uk

This next one was quite a head-scratcher! There are three yellow flowered species that bloom in spring and have similar names.
Celandine, also known as the Wood-poppy, Stylophorum diphyllum, (4 petals) is a native plant whichis listed as endangered in Ontario.
It grows in mixed woodland shady forests.
The greater Celandine, Chelidonium majus, (4 petals) is considered aggressive and invasive in some areas.
It is toxic in small doses, but it is also used in herbal medicine!
The lesser Celandine Ficaria verna, formerly Ranunculus ficaria, (7-12 petals) is toxic and is considered invasive in the Midwest and Northeastern US.

And that's just a FEW of the poppy family!
I hope you are inspired to check more of them!

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In Flanders Fields

image from http://www.greatwar.co.uk/poems/john-mccrae-in-flanders-fields.htm

by John McCrae, May 1915

In Flanders fields the poppies blow
Between the crosses, row on row,
That mark our place; and in the sky
The larks, still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.

We are the Dead. Short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
Loved and were loved, and now we lie
In Flanders fields.

Take up our quarrel with the foe:
To you from failing hands we throw
The torch; be yours to hold it high.
If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
In Flanders fields.

Belcarra Garden Club
BC, Canada