History of Georgetown Red Poppies

During World War I, Henry Purl Compton (known as "Okra") was one of Georgetown's sons who went to France in the U.S. Army. He brought back to his mother some seeds of the Flanders poppy. (John McCrea made these poppies famous in his poem, "In Flanders field where poppies blow between the crosses row on row.") Mrs. Compton planted the seeds, which not only grew on the slopes of her property on East 7th Street, but spread throughout the community with the help of birds, bees, and people.

In the 1980s, organizations like the Red Poppy Garden Club, City of Georgetown, and the Williamson County Sun began the preservation and spread of poppies all over the town by giving away and selling millions of seeds. Georgetown became the "Red Poppy Capital of Texas," certified by local residents and the Texas Legislature. Most years our Red Poppies bloom in late March through early April, along with the Bluebonnets and Indian Paintbrushes.

In 2007, we celebrate the eighth annual Red Poppy Festival on April 28th & 29th. The festival celebrates these beautiful flowers which have been a part of Georgetown's heritage and landscape for over seventy years.

Red Poppy Tour

Take a tour of red poppies in Georgetown! Click the link below to see a few of the best sites to see our favorite flower in bloom!