During the holiday season, poinsettias brighten up homes in suitably festive coloring, serving as symbols of goodwill. December 12 marks National Poinsettia Day, a special occasion to celebrate this holiday favorite. The plant was introduced to the US by Joel Roberts Poinsett, a botanist and former minister to Mexico who died on this day in 1851. Poinsettias can be found growing in the wild from Mexico to Guatemala. The ancestors of the modern, commercially available version have been traced to the Mexican state of Guerrero. The crimson-leaved plant was used by the Aztecs as a red dye and as a fever-reducing medicine.
Poinsettia Day
Today in History
More Desktop Wallpapers:
-
Val Gardena, South Tyrol, Dolomites, Italy
-
The party’s just starting
-
A triumph of light
-
Oktoberfest begins!
-
Southern right whales sail home to South Africa
-
Longer days mean warmer sand
-
National Public Lands Day
-
All is silent for Big Ben’s musical milestone
-
Here we honor the women who ve served
-
Reflecting on one of the world s strangest rivers
-
Road-trip worthy attraction in the heartland
-
A predator at risk
-
St. Patrick’s Day in Ireland
-
Black History Month
-
The Feathers at Frenchman Coulee near Vantage, Washington
-
A fair that s star-studded
-
International Polar Bear Day
-
Red-necked grebes during breeding season
-
Ribblehead Viaduct, North Yorkshire, England
-
Red skies at Ruby Beach
-
International Polar Bear Day
-
A wassailing we go
-
Waitangi Day in New Zealand
-
Classical music takes center stage
-
Happy Holi!
-
Arches National Park, Utah
-
Protecting Alaska
-
Celebrating the International Day of Forests
-
Everest s shadow on the Himalayas
-
Corona Arch near Moab, Utah