When the First World War broke out in Western Europe the lovely countryside, was constantly bombed and it gradually turned into a swamp, and fertile lands ended up as barren wastelands.
But it is not an exaggeration to say that despite the turbulent war, thousands of bright red flowering Flanders popped up, giving new hope to Western Europe that had been devastated by World War I. In May 1915, Lieutenant Colonel John McCrae, a Canadian physician, was inspired to write the poem, ‘Flanders’’ by these red flowers.
Moina Michael, an American professor who enjoyed reading ‘Flanders’, has always decided to wear red poppies to commemorate war heroes. In November 1918, she attended the Conference of Foreign War Secretaries of the Young Christian Association, holding a red silk poppy in her coat. Anna Guerin, a Frenchwoman who later attended the conference, introduced the artificial poppies we see today, and red poppies have been recognised as a ‘symbol of war heroes’ by the Royal British Army, a charity founded for the advancement of British troops.
In November 1921, the Royal British Army purchased 9,000 artificial poppies from Anna Guerin and sold them to the British. It is reported that the total income of about 106,000 Sterling Pounds was spent on starting self-employment and building houses for soldiers who participated in the First World War.
Considered an agricultural weed, the Flanders poppy is scientifically known as Papaver Rhoeas. It usually takes about a year for a Flanders poppy plant to reach full growth, and flowering begins in late spring. It is a bright red four-petalled flower measuring 7-10 centimetres and has a black spot in the center.
One Flanders poppy produces about 400 flowers during the dry season, and the lifespan of a flower is limited to one day.
Flanders poppy cultivation began on a large scale in the British Isles in the 1980s, despite a decline in Flanders poppy growth due to the rise of agriculture and the use of herbicides after World War II.
In addition, Flanders poppies are now found in Africa, Europe, and tropical Asia with temperate climates. Flanders poppies, which contain a variety of alkaloids, are generally non-toxic to humans, and are reported to be toxic to horses, sheep, and cattle if eaten in large quantities.
Artificial poppies, which were sold in November 1921 by the ‘Royal British Army’ to raise funds for fallen heroes, are now extremely popular in the former colonies of the British Empire, such as Canada, Australia, and New Zealand. Similarly, even the United States uses red artificial poppies to commemorate war heroes. Artificial poppies are usually sold and worn for ‘Anzac Day’ on April 25 or ‘Remembrance Day’ on November 11.
In addition to red poppies, purple poppies are used to commemorate animals that died due to war. Purple poppies, along with red poppies, were first introduced by the British animal rights group ‘Animal Aid’.
Statistics show that about eight million horses and donkeys died during the First World War alone. Black poppies are used to commemorate black workers, Africans, and Caribbeans who died in the war.