Annual flowering plant, member of the Papaceraceae genus.
Annual flowering plant, member of the Papaceraceae genus. Flowers are noted for scarlet petals and black center; and they are prominently used to symbolize wartime remembrance in the Commonwealth and some West European nations.
Poppies typically have 4-6 petals, and these can be almost any color although scarlet is the most well known. Pollen colors can also vary and include blue and grey shades.
Poppies are primarily grown as ornamental plants that add a bright dash of color to a garden. They are also grown for drugs (Papaver somniferum aka 'opium poppy') and food (poppy seeds are often used in cooking and baking).
Poppies have symbolized sleep, peace and death for a long time. Sleep comes from opium, and death comes from the blood-red color.
Today they are primarily used to symbolize wartime remembrance. This comes from Papaver rhoeas ("corn poppy" of NW Europe). Poppy seeds are remarkably hardy to deep burial. The 'churning' of the land of Flanders during the intense trench warfare of World War 1 had the effect of bringing old seed up to the surface. This bloomed immediately after World War 1. Symbolically, this also tied with existing connections with peace and death. The appearance of the poppies was popularized in the poem In Flanders Fields by John McCrae. The wearing of plastic poppies for Armistice Day has since been taken up by organizations such as the British Legion - as both a mark of remembrance, and also to raise funds for their charitable activities. Although the wearing of poppies is most notable in Britain and the ANZAC nations, it was once custom in the US but has since fallen out of use.
