The poppy and the pea
Worldwide, the poppy is a symbol of war remembrance. The Flanders poppy has been linked with battlefield deaths since the Great War (1914-1918) because they were the first plants to grow and bloom in the muddy fields of Flanders.
Every year the RSA sells poppies on Poppy Day which is on the Friday before Anzac Day (unless that day is Good Friday). Sadly, this year, Poppy Day has been cancelled due to the COVID-19 lockdown. The RSA plans to reschedule Poppy Day to coincide with Armistice Day.
Back in 1921, New Zealand planned to hold its first Poppy Day appeal around the time of Armistice Day, which modelled what other countries were doing at that time. However, the ship carrying the poppies from France arrived too late for the scheme to be properly promoted so the Association decided to wait until the day before Anzac Day in 1922.
A hundred years later and the poppy is still used to honour the men and women who fought in the Great War, and in subsequent wars – but is it possible that there could be a similar flower with the same symbolic power?
Australian florist Hazel Davies learned that Australian’s indigenous people have been using the desert pea flower for memorials, remembrance and restoration. Their history is recorded through storytelling, and when Hazel researched these stories she discovered that this little wildflower is equivalent to the Flanders poppy as it symbolises blood spilt on the ground from the battlefield.
The poppy and the desert pea are both powerful symbols for war remembrance but neither of them is suitable as a cut flower. Artificial poppies and desert peas are made in Australia, with the desert pea becoming a popular choice to be worn on clothing or used in wreaths laid on Anzac Day and Armistice Day.