poppies have a remarkable ability to grow in even extremely poor soil. After the First World War, they were one of the earliest flowers to begin growing again among the wreckage of the battlefields in Europe. They’re often found in places where natural disasters or human behaviors have caused a massive disruption in the land. Their seeds wait in the soil, dormant, until they can emerge in the wake of catastrophe and help make way for other plants to return. Like they’ve been sleeping, just waiting to wake up and bring new life to the earth. Poppies are a ruderal species, which means that they
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