Most definitely a Poppy i.e. Papaver species. Papaver rhoeas would be a likely candidate. Size is totally in keeping.

You're right! I guess I'm remembering "Poppy day" from when I was little...these poppies seemed HUGE compared to this little thing...but then maybe that's because I was a little thing too :)

Thanks Floral!

Crikey - how big are the Poppies for US Poppy Day? Ours are just the same size as a real Papaver rhoes.

I don't think the US recognises Poppy Day....I wasn't here...but I remember having to buy paper ones...the teachers brought in real ones and if my memory serves me right (probably doesn't :) they were at least 4" across...the one I have here might be half that size!

Ah - so where were you? I read that wearing poppies actually started in the US. In the UK they are a papery material and life size. Real poppies wouldn't last in a buttonhole and are not in flower in November.

Here is a link that might be useful: US Poppy Days

I had no idea! Oddly enough, I was born in the US but my parents are English and we were, at the time I learned about Poppy Day, in New Zealand...so though my memory my be hazy and there may not even have been real poppies at all...I swear the teachers weren't wearing paper ones :)

Thanks for the link!

Aha - in NZ November would have been Summer so there might have been real poppies around. (Sorry to get side tracked but we have a nationwide schools project on at the moment to sow poppies for the 100th anniversary of WWI and I am puzzled that no one seems to have realised that they will no longer be blooming on Remembrance Day.)

Here is a link that might be useful: Poppy project

Def. a disconnect there....it's amazing that the schools don't seem to see a problem w/millions of little kids growing poppies and having them die well before the intended day for which they are growing them :(