Poinsettia or Christmas flower 12 Dec 2024

Here"s the red poinsettia, one of the plants synonymous with the holiday season in the United States. With its striking star-shaped leaves, the poinsettia has become a symbol of Christmas cheer, brightening homes and public spaces during winter. Joel Roberts Poinsett, the first US ambassador to Mexico, introduced these vibrant plants to America in the 1820s. He discovered them while exploring the Taxco region in Guerrero. So taken by their beauty, he sent clippings back to his home in Charleston, South Carolina.

© David Hosking/NPL/Minden Pictures

palette

Today in History

Christmas flowers
12 Dec 2023Reed bunting
12 Dec 2025National Poinsettia Day

More Desktop Wallpapers:

21 Oct 2024Cypress trees in George L Smith State Park, Georgia, United States
24 Dec 2025Christmas Eve
11 Nov 2024Banff National Park, Alberta, Canada
30 Oct 2023Common raven
Happy 70th to the North York Moors
One on land, a million in space
11 Nov 2025Externsteine in the Teutoburg Forest, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany
The dog days of summer
The lonely castle
26 Dec 2024Boxing Day
Who uses this grassy bridge?
The beauty of intricate carvings
World Population Day
Peek-a-boo, I see you!
Today, a nation was born
Aug 31, 2023Saguaro cacti, Ironwood Forest National Monument, Arizona
Snow glow
The bears and the bees…
17 May 2025A delta in the Venetian Lagoon, Italy
1 Jul 2024Canada Day
3 May 2024The Sonoran Desert, Arizona, USA
A bevy of buzzers
A day for cousins of every stripe
A puzzle for giants
9 Aug 2024Bristol International Balloon Fiesta
28 Nov 2024City Hall, London, England
3 Feb 2024Carnival of Venice
3 Feb 2025Ribblehead Viaduct, North Yorkshire, England
The Town of Books
7 Aug 2024Vineyards above the Moselle River, Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany