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Papaver rhoeas - L.
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| Common Name
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Corn Poppy
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| Family
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Papaveraceae
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| Synonyms
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| Known Hazards
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This plant is toxic to mammals, though the toxicity is low[76]. The seed is not toxic[76].
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| Habitats
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A common weed of cultivated land and waste places, avoiding acid soils[17]. Becoming far less frequent on cultivated land due to modern agricultural practices.
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| Range
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Europe, including Britain, from Scandanavia south and east to N. Africa and temperate Asia.
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Edibility Rating 
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| Medicinal Rating
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| | Care
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| Physical Characteristics
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ANNUAL growing to 0.6 m (2ft) by 0.2 m (0ft 6in).
It is hardy to zone 5 and is not frost tender. It is in flower from Jun to August, and the seeds ripen from Aug to September. The flowers are hermaphrodite (have both male and female organs) and are pollinated by Bees, flies, beetles, self.The plant is self-fertile.
It is noted for attracting wildlife.
The plant prefers light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils and requires well-drained soil.The plant prefers acid, neutral and basic (alkaline) soils..It cannot grow in the shade.It requires moist soil.
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| Habitats
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Cultivated Beds;
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| Edible Uses
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Edible Parts: Flowers; Leaves; Seed.
Seed - raw or cooked. Much used as a flavouring in cakes, bread, fruit salads etc[4, 5, 21, 183], it imparts a very nice nutty flavour[K]. The seeds are rather small, but they are contained in fairly large seed pods and so are easy to harvest. The seeds are perfectly safe to eat, containing none of the alkaloids associated with other parts of the plant[238].
Leaves - raw or cooked[7, 52]. Used like spinach or as a flavouring in soups and salads[132, 183]. The leaves should not be used after the flower buds have formed[7]. Some caution is advised, see the notes above on toxicity.
An edible oil is obtained from the seed[2, 4]. Said to be an excellent substitute for olive oil[4, 183], it can be used in salad dressings or for cooking[2].
A syrup can be prepared from the scarlet flower petals, it is used in soups, gruels etc[4, 183].
A red dye from the petals is used as a food flavouring, especially in wine[183].
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| Medicinal Uses
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Plants For A Future can not take any responsibility for any adverse effects from the use of plants. Always seek advice from a professional before using a plant medicinally.
Anodyne; Cancer; Emmenagogue; Emollient; Expectorant; Hypnotic; Sedative; Tonic.
The flowers of corn poppy have a long history of medicinal usage, especially for ailments in the elderly and children[244, 254]. Chiefly employed as a mild pain reliever and as a treatment for irritable coughs, it also helps to reduce nervous over-activity[254]. Unlike the related opium poppy (P. somniferum) it is non-addictive[244]. However, the plant does contain alkaloids, which are still under investigation, and so should only be used under the supervision of a qualified herbalist[244].
The flowers and petals are anodyne, emollient, emmenagogue, expectorant, hypnotic, slightly narcotic and sedative[4, 7, 9, 13, 46, 53]. An infusion is taken internally in the treatment of bronchial complaints and coughs, insomnia, poor digestion, nervous digestive disorders and minor painful conditions[9, 238]. The flowers are also used in the treatment of jaundice[218]. The petals are harvested as the flowers open and are dried for later use[238]. They should be collected on a dry day and can be dried or made into a syrup[4].
The latex in the seedpods is narcotic and slightly sedative[240]. It can be used in very small quantities, and under expert supervision, as a sleep-inducing drug[7].
The leaves and seeds are tonic[240]. They are useful in the treatment of low fevers[240].
The plant has anticancer properties[218].
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| Other Uses
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Oil; Dye; Ink; Pot-pourri.
A red dye is obtained from the flowers[7, 46, 61], though it is very fugitive[4]. A syrup made from the petals has been used as a colouring matter for old inks[4, 13, 89].
The red petals are used to add colour to pot-pourri[238].
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| Cultivation details
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Prefers a well-drained sandy loam in a sunny position[1, 200]. Does not do well on wet clay soils but succeeds in most other soils[115].
Plants usually self-sow freely when growing in suitable conditions so long as the soil surface is disturbed[238].
There are several named varieties selected for their ornamental value[200].
A polymorphic species, varying in leaf shape and flower colour[17].
When growing in cereal fields, poppies decrease the yields of nearby cereal plants[18, 20].
Members of this genus are rarely if ever troubled by browsing deer or rabbits[233].
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| Propagation
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Seed - sow spring or autumn in situ[200].
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| Botanical References
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| 17200
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| Links / References
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[K] Ken Fern Notes from observations, tasting etc at Plants For A Future and on field trips.
| [1]F. Chittendon. RHS Dictionary of Plants plus Supplement. 1956
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| Comprehensive listing of species and how to grow them. Somewhat outdated, it has been replaces in 1992 by a new dictionary (see [200]).
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| [2]Hedrick. U. P. Sturtevant's Edible Plants of the World.
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| Lots of entries, quite a lot of information in most entries and references.
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| [4]Grieve. A Modern Herbal.
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| Not so modern (1930's?) but lots of information, mainly temperate plants.
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| [5]Mabey. R. Food for Free.
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| Edible wild plants found in Britain. Fairly comprehensive, very few pictures and rather optimistic on the desirability of some of the plants.
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| [7]Chiej. R. Encyclopaedia of Medicinal Plants.
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| Covers plants growing in Europe. Also gives other interesting information on the plants. Good photographs.
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| [9]Launert. E. Edible and Medicinal Plants.
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| Covers plants in Europe. a drawing of each plant, quite a bit of interesting information.
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| [13]Triska. Dr. Hamlyn Encyclopaedia of Plants.
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| Very interesting reading, giving some details of plant uses and quite a lot of folk-lore.
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| [17]Clapham, Tootin and Warburg. Flora of the British Isles.
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| A very comprehensive flora, the standard reference book but it has no pictures.
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| [18]Philbrick H. and Gregg R. B. Companion Plants.
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| Details of beneficial and antagonistic relationships between neighbouring plants.
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| [20]Riotte. L. Companion Planting for Successful Gardening.
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| Fairly good.
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| [21]Lust. J. The Herb Book.
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| Lots of information tightly crammed into a fairly small book.
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| [46]Uphof. J. C. Th. Dictionary of Economic Plants.
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| An excellent and very comprehensive guide but it only gives very short descriptions of the uses without any details of how to utilize the plants. Not for the casual reader.
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| [52]Larkcom. J. Salads all the Year Round.
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| A good and comprehensive guide to temperate salad plants, with full organic details of cultivation.
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| [53]De. Bray. L. The Wild Garden.
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| Interesting reading.
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| [61]Usher. G. A Dictionary of Plants Used by Man.
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| Forget the sexist title, this is one of the best books on the subject. Lists a very extensive range of useful plants from around the world with very brief details of the uses. Not for the casual reader.
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| [89]Polunin. O. and Huxley. A. Flowers of the Mediterranean.
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| A very readable pocket flora that is well illustrated. Gives some information on plant uses.
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| [115]Johnson. C. P. The Useful Plants of Great Britain.
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| Written about a hundred years ago, but still a very good guide to the useful plants of Britain.
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| [132]Bianchini. F., Corbetta. F. and Pistoia. M. Fruits of the Earth.
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| Lovely pictures, a very readable book.
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| [183]Facciola. S. Cornucopia - A Source Book of Edible Plants.
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| Excellent. Contains a very wide range of conventional and unconventional food plants (including tropical) and where they can be obtained (mainly N. American nurseries but also research institutes and a lot of other nurseries from around the world.
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| [200]Huxley. A. The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992.
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| Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.
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| [218]Duke. J. A. and Ayensu. E. S. Medicinal Plants of China
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| Details of over 1,200 medicinal plants of China and brief details of their uses. Often includes an analysis, or at least a list of constituents. Heavy going if you are not into the subject.
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| [233]Thomas. G. S. Perennial Garden Plants
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| A concise guide to a wide range of perennials. Lots of cultivation guides, very little on plant uses.
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| [238]Bown. D. Encyclopaedia of Herbs and their Uses.
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| A very well presented and informative book on herbs from around the globe. Plenty in it for both the casual reader and the serious student. Just one main quibble is the silly way of having two separate entries for each plant.
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| [240]Chopra. R. N., Nayar. S. L. and Chopra. I. C. Glossary of Indian Medicinal Plants (Including the Supplement).
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| Very terse details of medicinal uses of plants with a wide range of references and details of research into the plants chemistry. Not for the casual reader.
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| [244]Phillips. R. & Foy. N. Herbs
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| Deals with all types of herbs including medicinal, culinary, scented and dye plants. Excellent photographs with quite good information on each plant.
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| [254]Chevallier. A. The Encyclopedia of Medicinal Plants
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| An excellent guide to over 500 of the more well known medicinal herbs from around the world.
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