poinsettia

American  

[poin-set-ee-uh, -set-uh] / pɔɪnˈsɛt i ə, -ˈsɛt ə /

noun

1. a plant, Euphorbia (Poinsettia ) pulcherrima, of the spurge family, native to Mexico and Central America, having variously lobed leaves and brilliant scarlet, pink, or white petallike bracts.

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poinsettia British  

/ pɔɪnˈsɛtɪə /

noun

1. a euphorbiaceous shrub, Euphorbia (or Poinsettia ) pulcherrima, of Mexico and Central America, widely cultivated for its showy scarlet bracts, which resemble petals

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Etymology

Origin of poinsettia

1830–40; < New Latin, named after J. R. Poinsett (1799–1851), American minister to Mexico, who discovered the plant there in 1828; see -ia

Explanation

The bright red potted plants you see everywhere at Christmastime are called poinsettias. This plant is so commonly associated with the holiday that it's also known as Christmas Star. Poinsettias come from Mexico, and they get their name from Joel Roberts Poinsett, the United States' First Minister to Mexico in the 1820s. Besides unsuccessfully attempting to acquire new U.S. territory from Mexico, Poinsett was an amateur botanist who admired the brilliant red and green Flor de Nochebuena, or Christmas Eve flowers. His success lay in introducing the poinsettia to North America.

Example Sentences

For many of us, our first foray into foliage begins at Christmas when we are gifted a poinsettia.

From BBC • Jan. 14, 2026

It’s where Kobayashi still does her breeding work, where she hopes to someday create a golden poinsettia.

From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 20, 2025

Let’s pause here to clarify: The colorful parts of a poinsettia aren’t really flowers; those are the tiny yellow and red orbs in the center of the plant.

From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 20, 2025

The first was a photo of a guitar next to a fire and Christmas poinsettia.

From New York Times • Dec. 28, 2023

He purchased a poinsettia and put it on the dresser.

From "The View From Saturday" by E.L. Konigsburg