Poppies for Remembrance Day

Belcarra Garden Club
BC, Canada

Poppies for Remembrance Day

by Nora Boekhout

image from Seedscape

With Remembrance Day soon upon us, it seemed appropriate to do a little garden investigation into the poppy flower! I was surprised to learn that there are more than 700 species and over 40 genera in the Papaveraceae family! Most seem to like bright conditions and moist but well-drained soil. Just a little warning here… many poppies are toxic to humans and pets due to alkaloid compounds.

poppy
photo by Richard Lam

Papaver rhoeas is the “Shirley Poppy” or “Flanders Poppy” which grows wild in Europe. It is the signature flower for Remembrance Day. It was inspired by the poem “In Flanders Fields” by Canadian Lieutenant Colonel John McCrae in 1915. The wild species is a bright red with black center, 9-18in. tall, and hardy in zones 1-10. Although it is an annual, it spreads seeds so freely that it performs as a perennial. It likes full sun and a moist but well-draining soil.

Oriental poppy - photo by gardeningexpress.co.uk

The very popular Oriental poppy, Papaver orientale, has orange, red, or salmon-colored blooms with black centers. It blooms in June and July and has hairy stems and feathery foliage. It is native to Turkey and northern Iran. It grows 20-36in. tall and is generally hardy in zones 3 to 9. The foliage disappears in the summer, but new basal leaves make a showing in the fall.

Opium Poppy - photo by Ariel Cabrera Foix

The infamous Opium poppy, Papaver somniferum, comes from Turkey and can have pink, red, purple, or white flowers. The foliage is gray-green, and it is 3-4ft. in height. An interesting myth from the Himalaya says that poppies grew where Buddha’s eyelashes touched the ground. It used to be a common plant in English cottage gardens and was included in bird seed. When properly distilled, it produces the pain-killer morphine, but that requires a huge crop! On the other hand, it is also used in poppy seed cakes and muffins. The seeds need light to germinate, so don’t cover them with soil.

Iceland Poppy - photo by Tom Meaker

The Iceland poppy or Arctic poppy, Papaver nudicaule, is boreal and native to sub-polar regions but does not grow in Iceland! It prefers the cooler zones 2-7 and appreciates regular fertilizing. It grows 12-24in. tall and comes in many colors including reds, oranges, whites, and pinks. It is excellent for cuttings in vases.

Himalayan poppy
photo by Richard Lam

The lovely blue Himalayan poppies, Meconopsis grandis, have large petals (up to 5 inches across) but are quite difficult to grow. They prefer partial light, woody terrain, and a cool mist. They are hardy in zones 3-7 and grow 3-4ft tall.

Welsh Poppy
photo by Mark Van Manen

The Welsh poppy, Meconopsis cambrica, has bright yellow flowers and is native to Wales and Western Ireland, as well as the Pyrenees. It blooms all summer, and the Basque people call it “gold of the mountains”. It grows 12-24in. and is hardy in zone 6.

California Poppy
photo - Steve Whysall article

The California poppy, Eschscholzia californica, is another popular and easily grown poppy. It is a North American native, so well suits a wildflower garden. The petals are a bright orange, and the foliage is blue-green and fernlike. It is hardy in zones 6-10 and grows 12-18in. tall. California poppy teas and tisanes are made to promote relaxation and sleep but in moderation!

Bloodroot
photo from Espace pour la Vie

Bloodroot, Sanguinaria canadensis, is a surprising member of the poppy family. This native flower prefers a shady habitat and is great for a wildflower garden. It has white flowers and is unusual as its leaves and flower stalks emerge directly from the ground. It gets its name from the reddish-orange color of its sap when the roots are cut.

Tree Poppy
photo by Randi Rhoades

The Matilija poppy, Romneya coulteri, is also known as the Tree poppy. It has white, wrinkly petals with bright yellow stamens that bees love. It is an aggressive grower, spreading by rhizomes underground, and can be 6-10ft. tall! It prefers dry, desert-like conditions and is hardy only in zones 8-10.

wood poppy

Wood Poppy - photo by Alex Zorach

greater celandine

Greater Celandine - photo by Alex Zorach

lesser celandine

Lesser Celandine - image from thelandtrust.org.uk

This next one was quite a head-scratcher! There are three yellow flowered species that bloom in spring and have similar names.
Celandine, also known as the Wood-poppy, Stylophorum diphyllum, (4 petals) is a native plant whichis listed as endangered in Ontario.
It grows in mixed woodland shady forests.
The greater Celandine, Chelidonium majus, (4 petals) is considered aggressive and invasive in some areas.
It is toxic in small doses, but it is also used in herbal medicine!
The lesser Celandine Ficaria verna, formerly Ranunculus ficaria, (7-12 petals) is toxic and is considered invasive in the Midwest and Northeastern US.

And that's just a FEW of the poppy family!
I hope you are inspired to check more of them!

*************************************************************

In Flanders Fields

image from http://www.greatwar.co.uk/poems/john-mccrae-in-flanders-fields.htm

by John McCrae, May 1915

In Flanders fields the poppies blow
Between the crosses, row on row,
That mark our place; and in the sky
The larks, still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.

We are the Dead. Short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
Loved and were loved, and now we lie
In Flanders fields.

Take up our quarrel with the foe:
To you from failing hands we throw
The torch; be yours to hold it high.
If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
In Flanders fields.

Other Links on the Internet

The Meaning of the Poppy

https://www.legion.ca/remembrance/the-poppy/history-of-the-poppy

https://www.britishlegion.org.uk/get-involved/remembrance/about-remembrance/the-poppy

my own webpage: Learning About Remembrance Day

http://www.teacherwebshelf.com/holidaylinks/links/links-fall/fall-remembranceday.htm

Around our Garden
The Pacific Tree Frog ( Hyla regilla )
By Les Bramley

Pacific Tree Frog

This frog was in the top of our compost bin in August, having not seen one like this before looked up some facts on it.
This frog it turns out is quite common in B.C. They are small and grow up to 5cm long, and may be any colour from pale grey or tan to bronze or bright emerald green.
Their legs are long and slender, their toes have round pads, which help the frog grip and climb, and there is very little webbing between the toes.
Outside the breeding season Pacific Treefrogs may be found in woodlands, meadows, pastures, and even urban areas, often quite far from the nearest water body.
In spring the males make their way to the breeding ponds and call in unison to attract females.
The breeding call is two-syllable krek-ek startlingly loud for the size of the frog, the rest of the year it's the one-syllable c-r-r-ick.
The females lay small clusters of eggs in quiet, shallow water, the egg clusters are irregular in shape and may contain 10 to 70 eggs.
The embryos develop rapidly, hatching two or three weeks after the eggs are laid, and the tadpoles metamorphose in approx two months.
The young frogs mature quickly and may be ready to breed the year following transformation.
Adult Pacific Treefrogs eat spiders and a wide variety of insects, which they hunt while climbing about on plants. Tadpoles graze on algae and detritus.
In turn, Treefrogs are preyed on by snakes, Bullfrogs and many birds and mammals, and tadpoles are eaten by larger frogs and fish.
In B.C. the Pacific Treefrog is found in southern parts of the mainland and on Vancouver Island. It is found southward along the U.S. coast as far as Mexico, but are not found east of the Rocky Mountains.
This species is on the provincial Yellow list of species managed at the ecosystem level.
Populations may decline in the future, however, if the loss of wetlands continues.
Pacific Treefrogs are protected under the British Columbia Wildlife Act.

To help scientists keep track of amphibians go to the Wildlife Branch and Coservation Data Center at http:/www.elp.gov.bc.ca/wild

This information was obtained from the B.C. Government website
http so://www.env.gov.bc.ca/wild/documents/pacifictreefrog.pdf

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