Facts behind remembrance poppies

Brits may be familiar with the field poppy Papaver rhoeas due to its links with remembrance Sunday, but the Royal Horticultural Society has revealed a number of facts regarding the flower that may not be so well known.

One of the earliest known references to the rhoeas was in 300 BC when Theophrastus Historia Planataru mentioned the Mecon rhoias.

It was later suggested by a Roman medical writer that the name was linked to how quickly the petals fall from the flower.

However, the Celts referred to poppies as thunder flowers, as they believed they would bloom just before a storm broke out.

While seeds can lay dormant for hundreds of years, motorists will often see blooms springing up next to new roads, as the soil disturbance can kick start germination.

A tip for those picking poppies is to sear off the bottom of the stem with a naked flame in order to allow them to last in a vase.

Remembrance Sunday takes place on the second Sunday of November each year, while a two-minute silence is observed at 11:00 GMT on November 11th in memory of those who have lost their lives in battle for their country.