Poinsettia flower Dec 12, 2024

Poinsettia flower

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:

Dec 15, 2024Lake Misurina, Dolomites, Italy
Jun 23, 2024Dhaka, Bangladesh
Sep 7, 2025Gdańsk, Poland
Jan 17, 2024Eurasian wolf
Mar 15, 2025The Temple of Saturn, Rome, Italy
Apr 26, 2025Bruce Peninsula National Park, Ontario, Canada
Oct 11, 2023The Painted Hills, Oregon, USA
Nov 3, 2025Jellyfish, Guerrero, Mexico
Mar 2, 2025Megalong Valley, Blue Mountains National Park, NSW, Australia
Aug 30, 2024Whale shark
Aug 1, 2024Floating fruit market, Kaptai Lake, Rangamati, Bangladesh
Dec 15, 2025Spiegelgracht canal in Amsterdam
Nov 25, 2023Toledo, Spain
Dec 25, 2023Reindeer running in snow
Jun 26, 2024Banggai cardinalfish
Feb 21, 2024Horsetail Fall, Yosemite National Park, California, USA
Apr 25, 2024Adélie penguins, Antarctica
Jul 28, 2025Yurts in Mongolia
Nov 20, 2024Pont de pierre, Bordeaux, France
Jun 23, 2025Elbe river in Dresden, Saxony, Germany
Oct 8, 2023Veined octopus
May 19, 2025Mount Hamilton, San Francisco Bay Area, California, United States
Oct 24, 2023Füzér Castle in the Zemplén Mountains, Hungary
Dec 21, 2025Dawn light through frosty trees, Sweden
Apr 5, 2024The Bahamas
Aug 9, 2024Inca ruin of Sacsayhuamán near Cusco, Peru
Aug 17, 2025Lyngvig Lighthouse, Hvide Sande, Denmark
Apr 1, 2024Mer de Glace, Chamonix, France
Mar 11, 2025Broken Beach in Nusa Penida, Bali, Indonesia
Dec 22, 2023Castlerigg Stone Circle, Cumbria, United Kingdom