Wood Poppy

The intense yellow of the native Wood poppy is outstanding. If you see it consider yourself privileged to catch a glimpse of this imperiled species. This plant is listed as endangered and both plant and habitat are protected under Ontario's Endangered Species Act.The Wood Poppy is a perennial herbaceous plant that grows in rich deciduous forest environments including ravines and along streams. The plant grows up to 40 centimetres high. The wood poppy is propagated by ants. The leaves are pale underneath and deeply divided into five to seven lobes; most leaves grow at the base of long stalks. In early spring, clusters of showy intense yellow flowers appear at the ends of the flowering stalks. The fruit is a greyish, oval, hairy capsule that splits into three or four segments when ripe. The plant reproduces from a stout rhizome (underground stem).