Also referred to as the corn poppy, the common poppy is prevalent throughout farmland, fields, wasteland and roadsides mainly due to the seed’s ability to lay dormant until the soil is disturbed.

Behaviour

The common poppy has four prominent bright red petals, cupped around a cluster of dark brown seeds with a long green stem. Although there are different variations of the poppy, they can be differentiated from the common poppy by its rounded, flat-topped, hairless seed capsules.

Size

Height: 30 – 80cm

Status

Common throughout Scotland and the UK

Distribution

Lowland areas of Scotland

When to see

July – September

Facts

• Because poppy seeds can remain dormant in soil until it is disrupted, many of these flowers grew at the sites of World War One battlefields after the war. This led to the poppy being adopted as the symbol of Remembrance Day.
• The Egyptians and Romans used poppies to create garlands to celebrate the gods and ensure the fertility of their crops because they are commonly seen in agricultural fields.