Cailleach Dhearg
Latin name: Papaver rhoeas
One of the nicest wildflowers in Ireland is the common poppy.
It flowers from June to September. The scarlet red flowers can grow in cornfields, ditches and wastelands. They add great colour to the countryside!
Poppies growing along a laneway
Poppies growing along a laneway
Poppies growing along a laneway
Have you ever looked at a poppy up close?
Its flowers are paper-thin. The petals are very silky to touch.
The stem of the poppy is long and very hairy. The leaves are deep green with jagged edges.
Did you know? The common poppy sheds its petals after just one day.
You would probably never notice the petals falling off. A single poppy plant can grow more than 400 flowers, one after another!
Amazing! Each poppy plant can make about 50,000 seeds.
Even more amazing! These seeds can survive for up to eighty years.
Today, poppy seeds are used in baking. A lot of people sprinkle them on top of bread. They give it a nice flavour and an extra crunch.
The witch's flower
A delicate, scarlet, common poppy wildflower
A delicate, scarlet, common poppy wildflower
A delicate, scarlet, common poppy wildflower
Long ago in Ireland, the poppy was called the witch’s flower. This is where the Irish name for poppy comes from. ‘Cailleach dhearg’ means ‘red hag’.