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:

Jun 22, 2024Amazon rainforest, Brazil
Nov 1, 2025Bison, Yellowstone National Park
Sep 13, 2024Point Reyes National Seashore
Dec 29, 2024Borobudur temple, Java, Indonesia
Jan 24, 2024Diamond Beach, Iceland
Oct 25, 2025Martimoaapa Mire Reserve, Finland
Sep 2, 2023Allens hummingbird
Dec 31, 2023Phra Nakhon Khiri, Thailand
Jan 6, 2025Flooded crypt, Basilica of San Francesco, Ravenna, Italy
May 25, 2024Aït Benhaddou, Morocco
Jun 26, 2025Horse Head Rock, New South Wales, Australia
Jun 29, 2024Beech forest in Nienhagen, Germany
Jun 8, 2024Confluence of Easter Creek and Killik River, Alaska, USA
Jul 30, 2025Ribadesella, Asturias, Spain
Feb 20, 2025Red deer, Canada
Jul 24, 2025Family of ashy woodswallows
Sep 14, 2023Przewalskis horses, Hustai National Park, Mongolia
Sep 12, 2024Dolphin pod near Réunion island
Oct 10, 2024Ancient town of Sorano, Tuscany, Italy
Jan 22, 2026Karlovy Vary, Bohemia, Czechia
Dec 20, 2025Red fox
Apr 23, 2024Library of Trinity College Dublin, Ireland
Jul 22, 2025Badlands National Park, South Dakota, United States
Feb 1, 2025Königstein Fortress, Saxon Switzerland, Germany
Mar 2, 2025Megalong Valley, Blue Mountains National Park, NSW, Australia
Nov 15, 2023Rapa Valley in Sarek National Park, Sweden
Jun 16, 2024Red fox father and kit, Washington, USA
Sep 24, 2025Devils Tower National Monument, Wyoming, United States
Nov 23, 2024Spiral aloe, Kangaroo Island, Australia
Sep 7, 2025Gdańsk, Poland