Field Poppy

Did you know ……. the field poppy or corn poppy, Papaver rhoeas, is known as the poppy of wartime remembrance. During the First World War the battlefields across Europe created ideal conditions for the poppy to flourish and bloom in between the trench lines and no man’s land on the Western Front. Poppies can lie dormant for many years before germination which is often triggered when the soil is disturbed.

Poppy beds are currently being planted to mark the First World War in five parks in Burntwood – Burntwood Park, Chase Terrace Park, Chasetown Memorial Park, Redwood Park and Chase View Park – and should be in flower between August and September 2014. The town council has donated the seeds and is working in partnership with Lichfield District Council to organise the planting.

Hundreds of poppies have also begun sprouting in a meadow in Perton. The field will be named by students from schools in the village who have submitted ideas to the parish council. South Staffordshire Council provided the seed for this Perton parish council project.