Papaver rhoeas
General description:
An annual herb growing up to 60 cm tall, with white latex and slender roots.
Conservation status:
Common and widespread; not of conservation concern.
Threats:
The common poppy suffered a decline with the advent of intensive agriculture and the increasing use of herbicides after the Second World War, but had a revival in Britain in the 1980s as a result of the policy of ‘set-aside’ in which farmers were rewarded for taking agricultural land out of production.
Size:
Stem height: 20-60 cm
Flower diameter: 5-10 cm
Distribution:
The common poppy is thought to be native to southern Europe, North Africa and temperate Asia. It has become naturalised outside of this range and is now widespread throughout much of Europe, Asia and North America.
Habitat:
Agricultural fields, roadsides and wasteland.