| By Jay White
Contributing Writer |
I fell in love with poppies almost exactly 20 years ago. My memory of the exact moment is so clear because it was one of the most moving things I have ever experienced.
It was Friday, November 11, 1983, and I had the day off. I was a young Air Force lieutenant assigned to the U.S. Embassy in London. Since that Friday was Veteran’s Day, I looked forward to a three-day weekend exploring the history of the English capital. When I awoke, it was cold and rainy. Not a surprise for London in November, but the dreariness of the day dampened my spirits somewhat. I decided that in spite of the weather, I was going to make the most of my time in jolly old England. So, I put on my uniform and headed down to Marble Arch Station. From there I took the “Tube” to Westminster Abbey.
As I rode the “Tube” I noticed that it was very full and many of the passengers on the train had little red poppies pinned to their lapels. While I noticed the poppies, it really didn’t occur to me that they might actually mean something. It wasn’t until I got off the train that the significance of those little red flowers hit me like a brick.
Westminster Abbey is a grand and beautiful place. However, I was not prepared for what I discovered on its grounds that cold November day. The lawns around the abbey were set up with hundreds of little “graves.” Each of these “graves” had a white wooden cross headstone emblazoned with the unit-crest of every unit, both domestic and foreign, that had fought to defend the British Empire since World War I. Each of the “graves” had little white crosses with poppies attached to them stuck into the earth at the foot of the headstone. When I enquired as to why some graves had only one or two crosses and others had hundreds, I was informed that each cross represented 100 dead soldiers, airmen, seamen or marines who had given their lives to defend freedom.
For the first time in my life, I understood the cost of war. As a young American airman, I was drawn to the “grave” of the Eighth Air Force. That grave had 270 poppy-enhanced crosses stuck into its soil. I quickly did the math and realized that all of those poppies and crosses meant that 27,000 American sons, husbands and fathers, from that one unit, had lost their lives while trying to protect the world from one of the most evil empires in all of history.
The British adopted the poppy as a symbol of Remembrance Day for several reasons. However, most agree that the poppy was selected primarily because of a poem written by Lt. Col. John McCrae. Colonel McCrae was a Canadian doctor who wrote “In Flanders Fields” after losing his close friend and student during the WWI Battle of the Ypres Salient in Belgian Flanders.
CLASSIFICATION
Poppy is a generic term used to describe 10 genera of flowering plants in the plant family Paparveraceae. The largest genus of the group is called Papaver. There are at least 120 unique species in the Papaver genus — the group of poppies most of us are familiar with — including the corn poppy, Iceland poppy and Oriental poppy. Papaver somniferum, commonly known as the opium poppy, is the only flower in recorded history to have started not one, but two wars. The sap that is derived from its ripe seed pods provides the raw ingredients for opium, morphine, heroine and codeine. Throughout mankind’s entire recorded history, this unusual characteristic has made this flower one of our most valued and despised plants, both at the same time.
Opium poppies are used for more than the making of narcotics. My family’s favorite dessert is the poppy-seed cake that my wife makes. All of the poppy seeds that she uses come from legally grown opium poppies. Poppy seed oil is also favored by many cooks as a high-quality cooking oil.
It is technically illegal to grow the opium poppy in the United States. However, many people still do. In fact, if you search for “poppy seeds” on the Internet, you will find many, many places to buy them. If you grow them, either deliberately or accidentally, there is a chance, albeit a small one, that you may get a knock on your door from the authorities. The possession of opium poppies or their products is specifically banned under the United States Controlled Substances Act, Schedule II. With so many other wonderful species of poppies out there, why invite trouble by growing somniferum
Just a quick note, if you are going to have to take a drug test at work, lay off the poppy-seed cake for a while. Those tests are very sensitive and there are enough of the opium alkaloids in the seed to throw a positive result.
The Papaver poppies that I grow were passed on to me from Carol Ann Sayles at Boggy Creek Farms, Austin. Because they were given to me I am not certain of the variety. However, I think they are member of the species orientale. What I am sure of is this: they are strikingly beautiful flowers that are utterly reliable.
My poppies have four bright red petals (except for what are called “doubles,” all poppies have between 4 and 6 petals). When open, these petals reveal a dark, almost black cross in the bottom of the open flower. This “black cross” is topped by the round fused ovary for which all poppies are known. The ovary is covered by a whorl of bright yellow stamens that provide all of the pollen needed to fertilize the thousands of tiny seeds in each pistil.
The poppies I grow are between three and four feet tall. Like clockwork, they bloom from late April through May. While they are not the first flower to bloom for me in the spring, they are the ones I watch with the most anticipation. The bright red petals are crammed into a bud that you can literally watch open. As the flower buds begin to break and show the bright red inside, I know that my garden will soon be awash in the most vibrant blooms of the year.
Poppies of the genus Eschscholzia are called California poppies. Eschscholzia californica is a bright orange poppy that is native to the U.S. and Mexico. It is also the state flower of California. California poppies do not get as big as the poppies I grow. Typically, they are only 12” to 18” tall. However, what they lack in height, they more than make up in impact. Their bright orange color is almost festive. Their flowers are 2” to 4” across, they grow on lovely bluish green foliage and they are known for their uniform growth. Because of this, a field of these beauties looks just like a big orange carpet. California poppies do well in our area on average rainfall. If you want to punch up your spring wildflowers, add a few of these seeds to your mix.
GROWING POPPIES
The poppies I grow are deep red singles with black throats and bright yellow centers. However, if red or single is not your style, I promise there is a color and style out there for you. Poppies are like roses; they come in every color but blue.
If you want poppies in your garden, you can go to your local nursery and buy them in flats. Be aware that poppies need time in the ground to develop the roots they will need to support the plant and produce those stunning flowers. So, if you are going to use transplants, buy and plant them in the fall. If you don’t find them in the fall I encourage you to buy and plant them as early as possible in the spring.
In my experience, you will have better luck if you grow your poppies from seed. Poppies are so easy to grow. All of those tiny little seeds have approximately a 70 percent germination rate. If you don’t have any, simply order or buy seeds from your favorite source. They are so adaptable that even if you order from a reseller on the east coast, there is very good chance they will do well for you in Texas. However, in my opinion, the best way to get your poppies is from a local gardener. Since poppies produce so many seeds, everyone who grows them always has plenty of seeds to share. Just remember to go “hunting for them” around May.
Since poppies reseed so freely, they can be a little invasive. This trait doesn’t bother me in the least. In fact, it is one of the things that I love most about them. However, I know that not all gardeners are like me. Many of you like a nice, tidy and predictable flower bed. If that is the case, be very aware of the fact that you are going to be “weeding” baby poppies forever. Even if you are not a neat and tidy kind of gardener, realize that you will need to thin your poppies to prevent overcrowding. I start thinning mine as soon as they sprout. Since they don’t always sprout at the same time, I am generally pulling sprouts from October through May. I like to thin them to at least 6” to 12” apart.
Poppies do best in full sun and a well-drained, neutral soil. That doesn’t mean they won’t grow in a soil that is slightly acidic or alkaline. It just means you might have to look around for a variety that does well in your neighborhood.
If you want poppies next spring, you need to plant the seeds in the fall — the sooner, the better. Nature actually plants them at the end of their blooming season. However, it is not necessary to get them in the ground that early. “Naturally” planted poppy seeds lay dormant through the hot part of the summer. Then, when the day length and the temperature are right, they germinate. I often see my first “sprouts” in late September and early October.
Poppies are fairly cold tolerant. Most can withstand temperatures into the twenties. That is why they can germinate in October and continue to slowly develop roots and leaves throughout our mild winter.
Since poppy seeds are so tiny, it is easiest to put them out in a broadcast manner. Instead of trying to plant in rows I simply scatter them in the area that I want them in. Before I scatter them, I run a rake over the area I am going to plant. Then, once the seeds are down, I run the rake the other way. Do not rake too much. Those tiny seeds need light to germinate. It is recommended that you cover them with no more than 1/16th of an inch of soil. Once the seeds are down, I water them in with a hose mister.
My poppies start to bloom in March and they continue blooming well into May. The heads that are left after the flowers fade are actually what are left of the plant’s pistil. As the pistil dries, little holes open up around the top where the stamens were once attached. These little holes turn each head into a little “salt shaker” that dispenses the seeds whenever the wind blows or the plant falls over.
If you want to gather and save seeds, cut the dry heads as soon as the holes open. Shake the seeds into a paper bag and store for later use. I once placed my seeds into pill bottles and put them away. When I went to plant, I was shocked to find them covered in mold. Because of this, I never store any of my harvested seeds in zip lock bags or sealed containers. I have been saving seeds this way for several years and I have now been able to spread poppies all over my property and share them with many friends.
There are many reasons to grow poppies. They are incredibly beautiful flowers that come in just about every color of the rainbow and grow in almost all climates and soil types. Thanks to the British, they have also come to represent the two things I treasure most: service and sacrifice. Whether you grow them for their beauty or in remembrance of those who died to keep us free, they are a carefree plant that will reward you with a fabulous spring-time show for years to come!
