Poinsettia, << poyn SEHT ee uh or poyn SEHT uh, >> is a popular house plant often used as a Christmas decoration. It has tiny yellow flowers surrounded by large, colored bracts (modified leaves). These bracts resemble flower petals and are commonly bright red. Some poinsettia bracts are pink, white, or other colors.
Poinsettias are native to Mexico. A wild poinsettia may grow 2 to 15 feet (0.6 to 4.6 meters) tall. It begins to bloom when days become shorter in the fall. During the long summer days, the plant remains a green shrub. In cold climates, people must keep poinsettias indoors as potted plants. A potted poinsettia grows 1 to 4 feet (30 to 120 centimeters) tall.
The poinsettia was named for Joel R. Poinsett, who became the first United States ambassador to Mexico in 1825. He introduced the plant to the United States when he returned home. Other common names for the poinsettia include the Christmas flower, lobster flower, and Mexican flame leaf. The plant’s hollow stems contain a milky sap that can irritate the skin and eyes.
