Common poppy (Papaver rhoeas)

Stigma and stamen of common popy (Papver rhoeas). Photo: Jens H. Petersen. — Stigma and stamen of common popy - *Papver rhoeas*
Photo: Jens H. Petersen.

Korn-valmue (Papver rhoeas). An extreme close-up of the elongated, purple cells of the stigma, filled with blue, yellow, and green pollen grains carried there by bees.lange, lilla celler i støfanget, som er fyldt med blå, gule og grønne pollenkorn, slæbt til af bierne. Photo: Jens H. Petersen — An extreme close-up of the elongated, purple cells of the stigma, filled with blue, yellow, and green pollen grains carried there by bees.
Photo: Jens H. Petersen

Field of Common popy (Papver rhoea) — Common poppy - *Papver rhoeas.*

2 February 2026 by Science Museerne

Common poppy is common in cereal fields. It is an annual plant that establishes itself from seed each year. In the cornfields, it is able to bloom and produce seeds before harvest.

The abundant pollen and the strong colors attract pollinating insects. Bumblebees In particular are able to shake pollen off the stamens using their buzzing vibrations.

Common poppy produces a large number of seeds that maintain their ability to germinate for many years, ready for the opportunity to sprout in a future crop.

The common poppy is one of the first plants to appear when the soil has been disturbed. On the Western Front during the First World War, soldiers could witness battlefields suddenly covered in blood-red poppies, almost as a symbol of the horrors of war.

Facts:

Greenhouse location: The exhibition “Fabulous Flowers”
Danish name: Korn-valmue
Latin name: Papaver rhoeas
Family: The poppy family / Papaveraceae
Natural habitat: Cultivated fields