The red poppy is the flower most associated with Belgium — forever tied to the fields of Flanders and to the memory of those who fell in the First World War.

• National flower: The red poppy
• Scientific name: Papaver rhoeas
• Status: Commonly associated national flower
• Symbolism: remembrance and sacrifice

About Belgium’s national flower

The red poppy grew across the battlefields of Flanders during the First World War, and the poem “In Flanders Fields,” written by John McCrae in Belgium in 1915, made it an enduring symbol of remembrance. The bright red wildflower still blooms across Belgian meadows and roadsides each summer.

Symbolism and tradition

Each November, the red poppy is worn in Belgium and across the Commonwealth to honor those who died in war — a tradition born on Belgian soil.

National flower of Belgium FAQs

What is the national flower of Belgium?

The flower most associated with Belgium is the red poppy (Papaver rhoeas), tied to the fields of Flanders and to remembrance of the First World War.

What does Belgium’s national flower represent?

In Belgium the red poppy symbolizes remembrance and sacrifice, forever linked to the fields of Flanders and the First World War.

Why is the red poppy associated with Belgium?

Red poppies bloomed across the battlefields of Flanders in Belgium during World War I, and the poem ‘In Flanders Fields’ made the flower a lasting symbol of remembrance.

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