Common Poppy
Papaver rhoeas · Annual Herbaceous (Not a tree)
Plant Family
Papaveraceae
Tree Category
Wildflower / Ornamental Flowering Plant
Variety / Cultivar
Wild / Field Poppy
Hardiness Zones
USDA Zones 3-10 (as a self-seeding annual).
About This Tree
Although not a tree, this herbaceous annual plant features an upright, slender, hairy stem reaching up to 70cm. It produces solitary, bowl-shaped bright scarlet flowers with four petals and a dark center.
Leaf Characteristics
Pinnately lobed or deeply cut leaves, about 5-15cm long. They are green, alternate, and covered in bristly hairs, giving them a coarse texture.
Bark Characteristics
Not applicable; has a green, wiry, pilose (hairy) herbaceous stem instead of bark.
Growing Information
Origin Region
Native to Europe, North Africa, and temperate Asia; widely naturalized in North America and Australia.
Growing Season
Emerges in early spring, flowers from late spring to late summer (May to August), and sets seed before dying back in autumn.
Sunlight & Water Needs
Full sun is essential. Requires well-drained soil and has low to moderate water needs; very drought tolerant once established.
Mature Size
Height: 30-70 cm (1-2.5 ft); Spread: 15-30 cm (0.5-1 ft). Fast growth rate for a single season.
Special Characteristics
Culturally significant as a symbol of remembrance; seed banks can remain dormant in soil for 80+ years; produces a distinctive pepper-pot seed capsule.
Wildlife & Ecology
Highly attractive to bees and other pollinators for its abundant pollen; seeds are consumed by small birds and mice. Often found in disturbed soils and cornfields.