Flanders American Legion Poppy Seeds

Flanders poppy is an iconic red flower, carrying a message of peace with an underlying sentiment of soldier’s sacrifices. Red poppy flowers began popping up following the Napoleonic Wars in the early 1800s and again after WW1. This flower is named after the famous John McCrae’s poem ‘’In Flanders Field.’’ 

Flanders poppies grow in nearly any type of soil and are self-seeding without becoming invasive. The low-maintenance plants bear a single scarlet-red flower and grow to about 2 feet tall. Especially spectacular when planted ‘’en masse,’’ Flanders poppy is a popular choice to create a bold contrast with other wildflowers and for interplanting with grasses.

- Latin Name: Papaver rhoeas
- Life Cycle: Annual
- Days to Maturity: 65-80
- Planting Depth: 2-3 seeds 5 mm deep or broadcast directly
- Plant Spacing: 15-30 cm
- Growth Habit: 60 cm tall

GROWING INSTRUCTIONS

This common annual wildflower is capable of producing stunning, colourful blossoms. Poppies typically bloom from late spring to early summer. They hardly require any maintenance once established and will acclimate to almost any climate over the course of a few seasons.

The easiest way to propagate poppies is to let them do the work! Poppies freely self-seed from one season to the next and will eventually become naturalized to the area in which they grow. But to get a new crop started, sowing directly into the garden is the best option.

Transplanting poppies is a difficult task and is not recommended. Still, it is possible if the correct precautions are taken. Poppies germinate quite easily, but quickly develop a central taproot that does not like to be disrupted. By planting seeds in biodegradable peat or coco pots, this problem can be avoided.

Four to six weeks before the last frost date, plant two or three seeds per pot and lightly cover with soil. Mist and cover with plastic wrap to retain heat and humidity. Pots can be placed on a heat mat and seedlings should appear in about two weeks. Remove the plastic when germination is apparent. When seedlings are about 5 cm in height, thin to a single sprout. Provide bright, filtered light for seedlings. Gradually acclimate young poppies to the outdoors by hardening them off. Prepare the garden bed and dig planting holes (30-45 cm apart) large enough to accommodate the entire pot. Plant the poppies, backfill with soil and water well.

The planting site should be in full sun to encourage strong growth and abundant blooms. If the site is well-drained, poppies can adapt to many types of soil. They’ll even survive and grow in poor soil, but to achieve outstanding results, the addition of a little organic material will go a long way.

Established poppies require little water to thrive. Too much water can quickly lead to leggy, weak stems. Your watering duties are likely to be taken care of by mother nature if you receive regular rainfall. Deadheading spent flowers will prolong the blooming window. Poppy flowers are not frost tolerant, but their seeds will endure cold winters and sprout reliably next spring.

QUICK FACTS

- During World War One in France and Belgium, poppies stopped growing for four full seasons because of the intense destruction. After the war, the red poppies began to bloom again. This historical growth was spectacular, with 2,500 poppy seeds per square foot found.

- Here is a link to the full poem of Canadian Colonel John McCrae '' In Flanders Fields'' https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/47380/in-flanders-fields

- Poppy seeds will remain viable for 4 years if stored in a cool, dark place, ideally between 4 and 10⁰C. After that, the germination rate may start to go down.