It is a native of damp, rocky sites in upland areas of Western Europe from the British Isles to the Iberian Peninsula.

It spreads easily from the numerous small black seeds produced in the summer, from a long, ribbed capsule that opens with flaps.

[5] However, a molecular phylogenetic study published in 2011 showed that P. cambricum is not related to Meconopsis species, but is instead nested within Papaver, suggesting that Linnaeus' original name should be restored.

[1][2][7] Papaver cambricum is endemic to upland areas of Western Europe; it is found natively in the mountains of the Iberian Peninsula, the Pyrenees, the Massif Central and some western parts of the British Isles (Wales, south-western England and parts of Ireland).

This habit has enabled it to colonise the urban environment, growing between paving slabs and at the edges of walls.