Which organization officially adopted the red poppy as its memorial flower in the United States in 1920?

The American Legion officially adopted the red poppy as its memorial flower in the United States in 1920.

The poppy tradition grew from the First World War and the imagery of poppies blooming in devastated European battlefields. American teacher Moina Michael promoted the flower as a symbol of remembrance after reading John McCrae’s poem “In Flanders Fields.”

The American Legion adopted the poppy at its national convention in Cleveland in September 1920. Legion posts and supporters have since distributed or sold artificial poppies to raise money for veterans and their families.

Poppy symbolism is connected with remembrance generally, not only with Memorial Day. The red flower is also strongly associated with Remembrance Day in Commonwealth countries, where different organizations and traditions developed around the same wartime image.