Poinsettia flower Dec 12, 2024

Here"s the red poinsettia, one of the plants known for its striking star-shaped leaves. The poinsettia has become a symbol of Christmas cheer, brightening homes and public spaces across North America. Fun fact: Joel Roberts Poinsett, the first US ambassador to Mexico, introduced these vibrant plants to America in the 1820s after discovering them while exploring the Taxco region in Guerrero. The small yellow structures found at the centre of the vibrant bracts are the actual blooms. These flowers, grouped within cyathia, are crucial to the plant"s reproductive process. Interestingly, the hues of poinsettia bracts result from photoperiodism, a light-sensitive process crucial for their colour transformation.

© David Hosking/NPL/Minden Pictures

palette

Today in History

Dec 12, 2023Poinsettias
Dec 12, 2025Spotted poinsettia

More Desktop Wallpapers:

Sep 30, 2024Walruses in Svalbard, Norway
Jul 29, 2025Bengal tiger, India
Feb 4, 2025Golden Bridge, Bà Nà Hills, Da Nang, Vietnam
May 3, 2026Leopard sleeping in a tree in Masai Mara National Reserve, Kenya
June 23, 2026Mount Fuji on Honshu Island, Japan
Nov 20, 2024Pont de pierre, Bordeaux, France
Jun 3, 2025Bicycles on a bridge in Utrecht, Netherlands
Jun 20, 2024Kokino, North Macedonia
Oct 1, 2023Lake Bled, Slovenia
Jan 29, 2025Prioro, Castile and León, Spain
May 10, 2025Castildetierra in the Bardenas Reales, Navarre, Spain
Jan 5, 2025Plum-headed parakeet
Feb 2, 2026Alpine marmots, Hohe Tauern National Park, Austria
Nov 24, 2023Hoh Rain Forest, Olympic National Park, Washington, USA
Apr 27, 2025Coastal redwoods in Redwood National and State Parks, California, United States
Jan 5, 2024Bavarian Alps, Germany
June 5, 2026Sarek National Park, Laponia, Lapland, Sweden
May 20, 2026Bumble bee pollinating, Worcester, England
Jun 12, 2025Chisos Mountains, Big Bend National Park, Texas, United States
Jan 29, 2026Milwaukee City Hall, Wisconsin, United States
Aug 5, 2024Lavender field, Hertfordshire, England
Nov 29, 2024Mont-Saint-Michel, Normandy, France
Mar 2, 2024Modica, Sicily, Italy
Oct 9, 2024Aspens near Marble, Colorado, USA
Oct 12, 2025Saranac Lake, New York
Oct 20, 2024Three-toed sloth in Costa Rica
Jun 28, 2024Chausey Islands
Dec 13, 2023Svolvaer, Lofoten Islands, Norway
Aug 27, 2023Jeju Island, South Korea
Aug 26, 2023Berlin Cathedral and Museum Island, Berlin, Germany