Common Poppy - Luxembourg


Papaver rhoeas - The common poppy grows to a height of about 70 centimeters. The flowers consist of four bright red petals set on a black base supported by a hairy stalk. The plant was common prior to the widespread use of herbicides. The poppy can produce over 15,000 seeds durable enough to lie dormant for decades before germinating. With farmers and landscapers reverting to less intrusive ways of controlling weeds, the common poppy is becoming a common sight again. 

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The Congress of Vienna transformed Luxembourg into a grand duchy, the only remaining duchy in the world. The duties of maintaining the duchy was divided between the German Confederation and the Netherlands. A revision of this setup was negotiated through the 1839 Treaty of London, an agreement establishing the independence and neutrality of Luxembourg and Belgium. Germany occupied Luxembourg during both World Wars and annexed Luxembourg to Germany from 1940 until 1944.