Cornell Botanic Gardens

Common name: corn poppy, field poppy, flanders poppy (English)

Family: Papaveraceae (Poppy)

Distribution: Temperate Old World

Hardiness: Zone 5 (-20 to -10 F)

Life form: Annual plant

Usage: Food, Medicinal/pharmaceutical

Herbs of the Ancients: Herbs of the Ancients

Savory Seeds: Savory Seeds

Description: Annual to 90cm. Stems erect, branching, hispid, rarely glabrous. Leaves pinnate or pinnatisect, segments lanceolate, acuminate, to 15cm. Flowers solitary, to 7.5cm across; sepals hispid; petals orbicular or ovate, usually entire, occasionally crenate to emarginate, brilliant red, sometimes with black basal spot; stigmatic disc 5-18 rayed. Fruit subglobose, to 2cm, glabrous.

Comments: It was cultivated in ancient Egypt for medicinal use and for its edible seed oil. Seeds flavor and decorate breads and pastries. Crushed, sweetened seeds make a pastry filling.