White Poppies
All About White Poppies
White poppies are often used as a peace symbol, and are sometimes worn as the alternative to red poppies worn for Remembrance Day. Some people wear a red and a white poppy.
Several years after the red poppy was introduced in Great Britain, pacifists decided to make white poppies as a part of their No More War Movement. Nothing developed until 1933, when the Women's Cooperative Guild introduced their White Poppy. They wanted to remember all the wars' dead, and a hope for the end to wars in general.
People who advocate the wearing of white poppies state that they chose them as an alternative to the red poppies with a wish to distinguish their values, opposing the military aspects of Remembrance Day.
The poppy plant is an annual plant, with many varieties in shape. Every part of the plant, and especially the seed pods, hold a group of tubular vessels that are filled with white latex.
White poppies in the wild are actually pale white with lilac coloring. The capsules of the plant vary a lot in size and shape. The kidney-shaped seeds, numerous and very small, attach to projections from the inner capsule wall, and they are usually slate colored or white. As the plant matures, they change to a brownish-yellow, and this is when they are cut from the plant, if you wish to dry the poppy heads.
Poppies prefer moist, rich soil, and a lot of sun. They are often planted in fields what were originally planted in barley or wheat. The land that will grow the white poppies is fertilized and plowed in the fall, so the beds will be ready for spring. Seed is sown in March or April, depending on weather. Whiter seeds will sometimes grow whiter blooms.
Plants that are sewn too early can be killed by late frosts, but if it's sewn too late, they could be smaller in size if they have a dry growing period.
When the poppy plants are three to four inches in height, separate them into clumps and set them from six to nine inches apart. Be sure to weed your garden, and add a layer of peat if they appear to need support.
White poppies are prized, as poppy heads of the paler colors are most desired by gardeners and growers. Heavy rain or high winds can ruin the flowers, because the plants will become top-heavy.
After the poppies have bloomed and gone into their dormant stage, you will see a seedpod on the plants. You may then harvest the seeds, cut the poppies back, or leave them alone, and let them decorate your garden through the winter.