Poinsettia plants
© Elizabeth Fernandez/Getty Image
Holiday hues. Poinsettia plant
It’s been almost 200 years since poinsettias were first brought to the US from their native Mexico, where the Aztecs used the leaves to make dye and the sap to treat fevers. American botanist and government representative Joel Roberts Poinsett introduced the scarlet foliage to the U.S. in 1828. Flash forward to the 1960s, when a breeding program resulted in hardier, fuller plants and many variations. The booming poinsettia wholesale trade in the US brings in a whopping $250 million a year. The House designated December 12 as Poinsettia Day in 2002. Poinsettias are the top-selling potted plant in the US and Canada, brightening holiday tables every December.
Related Images
Mediterranean red sea stars, Mediterranean Sea
National Theatre, Cluj-Napoca, Romania
A northern cardinal perched in a common winterberry bush in Marion County, Illinois
Allen's hummingbird perched on a red kangaroo paw plant
Scarlet macaw in Costa Rica
Red lanterns hanging on trees during the Lantern Festival in Chengdu, Sichuan, China
Workers in an incense field in the Huyện Ứng Hòa district of Hanoi, Vietnam
Performers dressed as Santa Claus from the Ministry of Fun Santa School in London, England
Today on Bing
Wicker fields in Cañamares, Spain
Dec 12, 2021
Poinsettia leaf close-up
Dec 12, 2020
Icelandic sheep for the first night of the Yule Lads
Dec 12, 2019
Poinsettia flower buds
Dec 12, 2018
