Poppies and Remembrance

Whether crafted from paper or blooming in wild meadows, scarlet poppies have long reminded us of the sacrifices made by servicemen and women. While many Americans wear poppies for Memorial Day, some also wear them on Veterans Day to honor living veterans; in some European countries, poppies are worn on Remembrance Day (also on November 11th) to commemorate those who lost their lives in war. In observance of Veteran’s Day this year, we’re sharing the story of how papaver rhoeas (common poppy) - one of Oak Spring’s most beloved flowers - came to help us pay tribute to both living veterans and fallen soldiers.

Oriental poppies blooming in Oak Spring’s formal garden last spring.

The poppy’s long, complex role in human history dates back to 3,400 B.C Mesopotamia, where ancient Sumerians referred to the flower as Hul Gil ( the 'joy plant’) for its euphoric and pain-relieving properties. Opium poppies - the notorious cousin of the common poppy - would spread throughout  Asia, North Africa, and Europe in the centuries that followed, the valuable and addictive drug derived from the plant causing much international strife. 

The history of the common or corn poppy is a little more difficult to trace. It was first described in a published, scientific work by Carl Linneaus in 1753, but people were well aware of the flower long before botanists took an interest in it. The common poppy, likely native to the Mediterranean, probably first made its way to Northwest Europe among crop seeds carried by early settlers. Because the flowers grew abundantly in soil that had been disturbed for cultivation and competed with crops for space and nutrients, they were long considered a weed in Europe.

Common poppies growing in Oak Spring’s wildflower meadow.

The perception of poppies changed in the aftermath of World War I. Papaver rhoeas seeds can lie dormant for as long as 100 years, only germinating when light reaches them. As the European countryside was heavily disrupted during the war due to the digging of trenches, mass cemeteries, bombings, and other disturbances, millions of poppies bloomed across the battle-churned fields. 

The symbolism of the blood-red flowers blanketing spaces that had been sites for so much horror and death was hard to miss. The sight inspired Canadian soldier and doctor John McCrae to write his famous 1915 poem “In Flanders Fields”, describing the flowers blowing among the graves of fallen soldiers: 

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.

Poppy erraticum illustration by Georg Dionysius Ehret (1708-1770)

Across the Atlantic, the poppy’s cultural significance was championed by University of Georgia Professor Moina Michael. Moved by McCrea’s poem, she began selling silk poppies to raise money for disabled veterans and their families in 1918, and continued to tirelessly advocate for the flower to be formally recognized as a national memorial symbol in the decades that followed. Another humanitarian activist, Madame E. Guérin, undertook similar efforts in France and the UK, leading to the flower’s recognition in Europe . 

The American Legion officially adopted the poppy as a symbol in 1920, and still sells poppy pins, magnets, and other products as one of their fundraising programs. In the United States, the day before Memorial Day is known as National Poppy Day,  a time to wear the flowers to honor the fallen and to show support for living veterans and soldiers.

If you are looking for more ways to support veterans this Veteran’s Day, the Moina Michael Poppy Project carries on the work of “Poppy Lady” Moina Michael. Local, plant-centric organizations include  Farm and Fish for Life, which aims to create a farm program for veterans centered around horticultural therapy and participated in our Farmers for Food Relief Program, and grassroots non profit Minority and Veteran Farmers of the Piedmont, an offshoot of Virginia State University’s Small Farm Outreach Program. The U.S. Department of Veteran’s Affairs also has a comprehensive list of organizations that support veterans.

Banner image by Sarah Causey