“All silk and flame: a scarlet cup… like a burning coal falling from heaven’s altars.” (John Ruskin)

The common poppy (scientific name Papaver rhoeas) was once the inseparable companion of the cornflower in wheat fields. Selective herbicides have made the poppies that used to redden among the wheat spikes disappear : in fact, they are considered weeds.

The poppy is an herbaceous plant of the Papaveraceae family, standing 20-60 cm tall, with large and solitary red flowers. It grows wild along pathways near walls, in the countryside, in meadows, and can even be seen along the edges of highways .

Originally from the eastern Mediterranean regions, it appeared in Europe with the introduction of cereal crops.

Did you know?

The poppy’s flower loses its petals after just one day, yet a vigorous plant can produce over 400 flowers in succession during the summer!

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