July 2010
Poppies are the epitome of lazy summer days, rolling cornfields and a bygone age. In fact, the Common Poppy is still just that, very common, with some of Norfolk's fields turning red with millions of blooms. There are, however, three other similar species, all of which are distinctly scarcer, and this is one of them. Prickly Poppy can be identified by its long narrow seed pods that have numerous erect bristle-like hairs (they are hardly prickles!). It is also picked out by it darker red flowers with a distinct gap between the four petals. I was delighted to find these on a roadside near my house, and a couple of early morning visits (to avoid the wind) were well rewarded.