The poppy

The poppy is an annual herbaceous plant with red flowers belonging to the family Papaveraceae. Very common in cereal fields since Neolithic times, it is now affected by the harmful effects of herbicides and is unfortunately becoming increasingly rare.

Nevertheless, it is still widely present in many places, adding bright scarlet patches of color to meadows, gardens, fallow land, and roadsides.

The poppy’s stems, measuring 20 to 60 cm, are covered with stiff hairs; when broken, they exude a kind of white latex with an unpleasant odor. The leaves, deeply divided, are also bristly. The flowers are composed of four large petals with a crumpled, papery appearance. The stamens, the male organs that produce and release pollen, are numerous and black in color. The ovary, the female organ, develops after fertilization into a capsule that releases a large number of seeds.

Bees, which do not perceive the color red, are guided by the scent emitted by the flowers and by the contrast between the petals, which reflect a high proportion of UV rays, and the dark spots at their base, which reflect far fewer. From May to August, bees collect the pollen, which is notable for being black—something that strikes beekeepers accustomed to seeing pollen loads that are usually yellow or orange. Its protein and essential amino acid content is high, making it a valuable food source for bees, especially in summer, when natural forage is less abundant. The poppy, however, does not produce nectar.

The poppy plant is very closely related to the corn poppy and is cultivated either for its ornamental flowers or, in the case of the opium poppy (Papaver somniferum), for its oil-rich seeds and its capsules, which provide opium. This horticultural variety, with pink flowers, is also pollinated by bees, as is the long-headed poppy (Papaver dubium), which is very common in Switzerland.

The flower buds of corn poppies are edible: with a slight hazelnut flavor, they can be eaten in salads. The mature seeds are, like those of the poppy, rich in oils (up to 40%) and are used to make specialty breads or pastries.

Sources

T. Silberfeld, C. Reeb, Les plantes mellifères, 2016

Various authors, Giardinaggio senza problemi, Reader’s Digest Complete Guide, 1981

Various authors, Le traité Rustica de l’apiculture, 2002

Agroscope, Important pollen and nectar sources for honey bees in Switzerland, 2020

See also:

• Forage Plants
• Apicultural Value of Forage Plants
• Palynology and Pollen Analysis
• How Do Bees Choose Pollen?
• Pollen Consumption and Colony Development
• Practical Guide 3.2: Dearth Periods