Bishy Barnabees Cottage Garden Ltd
Poppy Flanders Red
Poppy Flanders Red
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Poppy 'Flanders Red' Seeds
The Flanders Poppy (or Corn Poppy) needs no introduction. It produces delicate, paper-thin cups of vibrant scarlet red, often with a black blotch at the base, fluttering on tall, hairy, wiry stems. It is the defining image of the British countryside and the enduring symbol of Remembrance.
This is a plant of simple, fleeting beauty. Each flower lasts only a day, but the plant produces them in such profusion that a patch will be a sea of red for weeks. It is the perfect "scatter and grow" seed, turning bare earth into a buzzing, vibrant habitat for bees and hoverflies in record time.
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🌿 Understanding the Plant
The Flanders Poppy is a Native Hardy Annual.
It completes its life cycle in one season. It is famously a pioneer plant, meaning it loves "disturbed" soil (which is why it bloomed on the battlefields).
The Self-Seeder: This plant is a master of survival. If you leave the "pepper pot" seed heads to dry, they will shake out thousands of seeds. These seeds can lay dormant in the soil for decades, waiting for the ground to be dug over again to spring to life.
🌱 Growing Guide: How to Sow and Grow
Poppies are incredibly easy, but they have one rule: Do not bury them!
Germination:
Sow directly outdoors in Autumn (Sept-Oct) for early flowers next year, or Spring (March-May). Rake the soil to a fine tilth (crumbly texture). Scatter the seeds on the surface. Do not cover with soil—they need light to trigger germination. Simply walk over the area to press them in.
Where to Sow:
They demand full sun. They thrive in poor, dry, or sandy soil. They hate competition, so clear away grass or weeds before sowing.
Care While Growing:
If you have sown them too thickly, thin them out! Crowded poppies will be tiny and weak. Give them space (15-20cm) to grow into bushy, multi-stemmed plants.
📋 Plant Specifications
| Latin Name | Papaver rhoeas |
| Common Name | Flanders Poppy / Corn Poppy |
| Hardiness | H7 (Very Hardy Native) |
| Light Required | Full Sun ☀️ |
| Height | ↕️ 60cm - 75cm |
| Spread | ↔️ 30cm |
| Spacing | 🌱 Scatter (or thin to 20cm) |
| Great for | 🐝 Pollinators 🌾 Wildflower Meadows 🧱 Poor Soil 🎖️ Remembrance Gardens |
| Seed Count | Approx. 700 seeds per packet |
🤝 Perfect Garden Companions
Recreate the classic "Cornfield Meadow" by pairing poppies with these native friends:
- 🔵 Cornflower 'Blue Ball': The Red, White & Blue. Mixing the scarlet of the Poppy, the blue of the Cornflower, and the white of Oxeye Daisies creates the definitive British wildflower look.
- 🌼 Oxeye Daisy: The backbone. The large white daisies provide a stable, perennial structure that supports the thinner stems of the annual poppies.
📅 Sowing & Flowering Calendar
Sow directly outdoors in autumn or spring. Flowers mid-summer.
| Month | J | F | M | A | M | J | J | A | S | O | N | D |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sow Outdoors | 🟢 | 🟢 | 🟢 | 🟢 | 🟢 | |||||||
| Flowers | 🌸 | 🌸 | 🌸 | 🌸 |
⚠️ Taproot Warning
Poppies hate being moved! They have a long taproot that resents disturbance. Always try to sow them exactly where you want them to grow, rather than in seed trays.
🏆 Officially Recognised Excellence
This is a priority plant for biodiversity. Papaver rhoeas is listed on the RHS Plants for Pollinators list, providing essential pollen for bees in early summer.
