The Common Poppy is a beautiful and evocative flower. It brings me hope when I see these carpeting fields of wasteland.
Only the seeds from poppies are edible. All other parts are poisonous.
Once the seed heads mature, harvesting poppy seeds can be a pretty easy affair. Just grab a handful of poppy heads and shake them into a bag. You can fill a big enough jar for a years supply in just a few hours when you hit on a good patch.
Once poppies have flowered, the seed heads mature and the seeds are harvestable from June throught to August.
Very common throughout England, but only occasional in central Wales and Scotland. The Common Poppy is synonymous with the Second World War for its appearance in vast carpets over bomb ravaged fields. Their secret is the vast amounts of seeds each flower can produce and the fact these seeds can lie dormant in soil for over half a century, ready to germinate when they’re close enough to the surface. Poppies can be found almost everywhere there is disturbed ground.
