THE STORY OF THE FLANDERS POPPY

The seeds of the Flanders poppy (Papaver rhoeas) had lay dormant on the front lines of France until 1915 when they were disturbed the the soldiers fighting in World War 1 and coincidentally, the weather was perfect conditions for them to germinate.  Every year for the next four, the poppies grew and their flowers lay like a red blanket across the fields on which the soldiers fought.  They also flowered in Turkey when the ANZACs landed at Gallipoli.

The flowers of the Flanders poppy are now a poignant reminder of the fallen soldiers on both Remembrance Day (11 November) and on Anzac Day (25 April) in Australia.  They are worn with pride, used in wreaths and sold to raise funds for charities that support returned solders.