The Poppy Story

The poppy is a flower that has a deep history along with their beautiful flowing style. The most famous poppy is of course the blood red corn poppy that grows in Flanders Fields.

However, there are numerous other poppies that are just as interesting as the red poppy. For example there is the California poppy that is a brilliant yellow. It is also the state flower of California due to its 64 years of horticultural history.

The Himalayan Blue Poppy is one of the most vibrant blue flowers out there and it is of course very rare. Normally to be able to see masses of blue poppies in bloom one would have to travel to the lands of cool summers: Scotland, Alaska, the Himalayas and some parts of Canada. Various commercial gardens attempt to grow this particular poppy outside these areas but without having fine-tuned a very specific growing environment the poppy will die when the temperature rises above 80° F.

The Oriental poppy has an interesting past for its name although its name refers to its origins in Eastern Europe and western the British landscape in the fifties and sixties ran rampant with the Oriental poppy. The colours of the Oriental poppy are fascinating some have a black blotch in the center of the petals and all have a great number of purplish-black stamens in the heart of the cup. Large leafy bracts surround all the flowers. There are over 150 varieties of the oriental flower making it pretty difficult to pick the perfect one to fit into your garden. An Oriental poppy usually measures between 9 and 10 inches across. A good grouping of flowers with the Oriental poppy is the Gypsophila paniculata, Phlox subulata (white) or golden Alyssum.

The prickly poppy on the other hand reflects its given name accurately. As soon as anyone tries to pick a prickly poppy they will be able to guess its name instantly. The leaves and seedpods are armored with needle-sharp spines. The thorns do carry various toxins but if pricked once or twice it’s a minor discomfort. However, if a particular animal such as a cow were able to get past the thorns and beyond all reason were to constantly graze on the plant it would get severely ill and the toxins could be passed to the milk in turn affecting humans in the form of edema. The prickly poppy looks like a raw egg with its white petals and vibrant yellow base. Prickly poppy grows in tropical regions from the most southern US to South America. Prickly poppies favor dry soil and are often found in tobacco fields.