By Zoe Taylor

While there are 70 recorded species of poppy within the genus papaver, the most popular for cut flowers is the Iceland poppy.

Hairy buds peel off the delicate spaghetti-like stems to reveal scrunched up papery colour bursts. They are such an exquisite flower.

Don’t be blindsided by their beautifully vibrant colors, poppies are extremely poisonous, and any part consumed should be treated as an emergency. 

Different species of poppy are native all across the world. They are found naturally in California, the Netherlands, Iran, and China.

It’s a little overwhelming just how many meanings are applied to poppies from sleep to everlasting love to death and fertility. Most of us will know of the red poppy and its association with WW1 and WW2, with the flower having long been linked to young men dying too soon. 

Poppy seeds are a good source of manganese and calcium, and rarely cause allergies among people. The seeds have a history in medicine, and people take poppy seeds for asthma, constipation, coughs, and insomnia, but there is no scientific evidence to support these uses.

In season June to September.