Memorial Day weekend may prompt visions of the red poppy known as the Flanders or corn poppy (Papaver rhoeas). This beautiful flower inspired the poem “In Flanders Field,” written by Lt. Col.John McCrae, a Canadian doctor who ran a field hospital during World War I.
The red poppy continues to be bound up with veterans. On National Poppy Day, commemorated the Friday before Memorial Day weekend, or May 22 this year, members of the American Legion family distribute red crepe-paper poppies, requesting donations used to support veterans.
The flower has a long history linked to bloodshed and death as well as fertility and life. In the medieval poem “Le Chanson de Roland” (“The Song of Roland”), the blood-colored flowers become a metaphor for the Frankish knights fallen in a battle during the reign of Charlemagne. In the United Kingdom, paper and plastic poppies are worn throughout November but especially on Nov. 11, Remembrance or Armistice Day — Veterans’ Day, as we know it — which marked the end of World War I in 1918.
But in the UK, the poppy also represents fertility, perhaps inspired by the longevity of the seeds, which can sprout and grow after being dormant in the soil for up to 80 years. The poppy’s association with fertility is an ancient one that includes the Greeks’ dedication of the flower to Aphrodite, the goddess of love, and her aunt, Demeter, goddess of agriculture. Images show Demeter in her Roman incarnation (Ceres, from which we get the word “cereal”), holding sheaths of corn and seed pods of the poppy.
This corn poppy is native to Asia as well as Europe and arrived here with imported agriculture seeds. Before extensive use of herbicides, it could be seen growing in farm fields, which inspired the common name corn poppy. The red flowers were once used as dye, for coloring red ink and medicinal purposes. The individual flowers only last a day but the plant blooms for months, leaving an abundance of seeds behind.
Make sure they are not invasive in your area before adding them to your garden. In areas where they don’t pose a threat, you can enjoy them in the garden, use them as cut flowers and watch for visiting pollinators. Plus, the deer tend to leave these plants alone.
Plant the seeds directly in the garden in fall or early spring. Allow the plants to set seed if you want them to return each year. When the seeds drop on bare soil and are left undisturbed, seedlings will appear in next year’s garden. Just thin out unwanted seedlings and add them to the compost pile.
Grow Flanders poppies in full sun to light shade, while those in hotter climates should plant them in a spot with afternoon shade. Although tolerant of a wide range of soils, they prefer those that are moist and well-drained. They do not tolerate wet, soggy conditions. Mature plants will grow 12 to 30 inches in height and are often used in naturalized, informal or cutting gardens.
The Flanders poppy’s close relative, the oriental poppy, is a popular perennial garden plant and cut flower. Grow it in full sun or partial shade in well-drained soil. Enjoy the late spring to early summer blooms. And don’t worry when the foliage disappears after flowering. This is normal and you can partner it with a later blooming perennial to cover the void that’s left in your garden.
As you enjoy a weekend of gardening and visiting with family and friend, take a moment to remember the poppy — and the veterans’ sacrifices it has come to signify.
Melinda Myers has written more than 20 gardening books, including “The Midwest Gardener’s Handbook, Second Edition” and “Small Space Gardening.” She hosts “The Great Courses’” “How to Grow Anything” instant video and DVD series and the nationally-syndicated “Melinda’s Garden Moment” TV and radio program. Myers is a columnist and contributing editor for Birds & Blooms magazine. For more, visit here. https://www.melindamyers.com/
