Spotted poinsettia Dec 12, 2025

Some plants simply sit quietly on windowsills. The poinsettia? It demands the spotlight. Bright, bold and as red as Rudolph"s nose, it is native to Mexico and Central America. In Mexico, it is known as the Flores de Nochebuena (Flowers of the Holy Night), a symbol of Christmas celebrations. The poinsettia"s common name comes from Joel Roberts Poinsett, the first United States minister to Mexico, who introduced it to the United States in the 1820s.

© DigiPub/Getty Images

palette

Today in History

Dec 12, 2023Poinsettias
Dec 12, 2024Poinsettia flower

More Desktop Wallpapers:

Aug 16, 2026Pedra Furada, Jericoacoara, Brazil
Apr 25, 2025Magellanic penguins, Volunteer Point, Falkland Islands
Feb 7, 2026Salar de Uyuni salt flats in Bolivia
Sep 29, 2023Jiaxiu Tower, Guiyang, China
Feb 21, 2026Red fox, Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming, United States
Dec 11, 2025The summit of Mount Everest at sunset, seen from Renjo La, Nepal
Nov 11, 2023Val di Funes, South Tyrol, Italy
Jun 15, 2025Lesser rheas, Torres del Paine National Park, Patagonia, Chile
Oct 12, 2025Saranac Lake, New York
Jan 9, 2026Muir Woods National Monument, California, United States
Dec 6, 2025Everglades National Park, Florida
Jan 29, 2026Milwaukee City Hall, Wisconsin, United States
Apr 15, 2026Forgetmenot Pond, Kananaskis Country, Alberta, Canada
Jun 3, 2024Bicycles in Copenhagen, Denmark
Nov 4, 2025Tower Bridge, London, England
Feb 27, 2026Polar bear cub, Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, Alaska, United States
Jan 10, 2025Abraham Lake, Alberta, Canada
Aug 4, 2024Impala and red-billed oxpecker, South Africa
Sep 17, 2024Kerala, India
Sept 16, 2026Polar bear cubs playing in Svalbard, Norway
Jul 24, 2024Swaledale sheep in North Yorkshire, England
Feb 19, 2026Dragons Eye, Uttakleiv Beach, Norway
Aug 7, 2025Gasparilla Island Rear Range Light, Boca Grande, Florida, United States
Jul 31, 2025Kalalau Beach on the Nā Pali Coast, Kauai, Hawaii, United States
Aug 1, 2026Lava flows spill into the ocean on Big Island, Hawaii
Jun 1, 2025Barrier reef off Grande Terre, New Caledonia, France
Sep 25, 2023Sea otter, Glacier Bay, Alaska
Sep 30, 2023Shenandoah National Park, Virginia, USA
July 28, 2026A kelp forest, Channel Islands National Park, California, USA
Nov 15, 2025Irohazaka Road, Nikko, Tochigi, Japan