How do you grow corn poppies? Let's start with their legend
Although we often hear the name "corn poppy," we may not actually know too much about what kind of flower it really is. This isn't because we lack observation, but because the corn poppy has many aliases, such as "fairy wormwood" and the like. Sometimes we may have already seen this flower, but the name written on it wasn't "corn poppy," so we simply didn't know.
In the past, people often confused the corn poppy with the canna lily, but in fact these are two completely different plants: the corn poppy belongs to the Papaveraceae family, while the canna lily belongs to the Cannaceae family. When you hear "Papaveraceae," what do you think of? Do you think of a beauty tinged with danger? In fact, the corn poppy and the opium poppy cannot be equated. Although it belongs to the Papaveraceae family, the corn poppy has effects such as relieving cough and pain, and can even rival many traditional Chinese medicines.
Therefore, you shouldn't keep your distance from it just because it belongs to the Papaveraceae family. Quite a few people are curious about how the name "corn poppy" came about, and whether it is related to Yu Ji, the wife of Xiang Yu. What varieties of corn poppy are there? "Yu Meiren" is also a ci poetry tune name. What exactly makes this flower so special? If you want to grow one at home, is there anything we need to pay attention to?
1. The legend of the corn poppy is indeed related to Yu Ji. The story takes place in the year Xiang Yu was defeated, which is the background story of the play "Farewell My Concubine." Before the enemy army bore down on them, Yu Ji danced one last dance for Xiang Yu, a dance both poignant and heroic, graceful as a startled swan. Yu Ji took her own life in the tent, her blood staining the snow-white military tent red, leaving behind the line "How can this humble concubine go on living?" which became in history a lingering image of a fragrant soul and lovely figure that never fades. How many people have shed tears over her and Xiang Yu's sorrowful, resolute love? A hero of a generation, upright for half his life, yet buried by the schemes of a ruthless warlord. Later, where Yu Ji took her own life, a flower bloomed, its color as vivid as blood, and later generations named it the corn poppy.
2. Corn poppy varieties are mainly classified by their color, so they don't have particularly special names, and are simply called white corn poppy, pink corn poppy, or red corn poppy. Of course, there are also mixed-color corn poppies, meaning a single bouquet has several colors.
3. Corn poppies, how do you grow them? First, pay attention to the sowing time, which is best when winter is approaching, that is, September and October. Corn poppies are just like people: they like environments that are warm in winter and cool in summer. When corn poppies are growing and blooming, you must ensure sufficient light, so that they can bloom normally. In summer, because the surrounding temperature is very high, corn poppies may show slowed growth. At this time, there's no need to panic; just transplant them to a cool indoor spot.