Leaf
Bernard Andrieu, Tela Botanica · CC BY-SA 2.0
Yellow horned poppy
Glaucium flavum L.
Also known as: Sea poppy
Family: Papaveraceae
30 to 60 cm tall
Dry seaside gardens, rock gardens, sandy or stony soils
Flowering: June – September
Full sun
Hardy to -15°C
❓ How do you recognise this plant?
Its long, curved, horn-shaped fruits can reach 30 cm, a record among poppies.
🍃 Leaves
Fleshy, glaucous, deeply cut
🌸 Flowers
Large bright yellow flowers with 4 petals
🍎 Fruits
Very long arched siliques shaped like a horn
🪵 Bark
Basal clump, upright stems, toxic yellow-orange sap
🗺️ Distribution
Coasts of Europe (Atlantic, English Channel, Mediterranean); found on shingle beaches and dunes in France.
🐝 Value for pollinators
Large yellow flowers rich in pollen, visited by bees in summer.
✂️ Horticultural uses
Seaside gardens, dry gravel beds; long, curved decorative capsules, hence its name.
⚠️ Possible toxicity
Toxic in all its parts (alkaloids), irritant yellow sap; ingestion can cause serious problems.
🌿 Other Papaveraceae to discover
ℹ️ Educational profile — do not use it to judge whether a plant is edible or safe.
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