Yellow horned-poppy

The yellow horned-poppy (Glaucium flavum) is a native of Europe and western Asia but is a familiar wild flower on shingle beaches all round the coast of Great Britain except for northern Scotland. This suggests that the plant might have reached these shores courtesy of a shipwreck centuries ago and spread along the coast. Despite its preference for shingle beds above the high-water mark, it will also grow on sand and cliff tops. 

The yellow horned-poppy will grow up to 36 inches (90 centimetres) high, but many specimens are much more low-lying than that due to being constantly battered by winds off the sea. The lower leaves grow on stalks off the main stem and have hairy lobes, whereas the upper leaves clasp the stem and have less prominent lobes.

The bright yellow flowers are up to three inches (7.5 centimetres) across and are seen from June to October. They are succeeded by seed capsules that are long and thin, up to 12 inches (30 centimetres) in length, and these form the “horns” that give the plant its name. 

The yellow horned-poppy has an orange-coloured, foul-smelling sap that is highly poisonous, as are all parts of the plant. This is a wild flower that should be admired from a safe distance rather than be handled.

© John Welford