poinsettia
Americannoun
-
poinsettias
plural
noun
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
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
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
For many of us, our first foray into foliage begins at Christmas when we are gifted a poinsettia.
From BBC ● Jan. 14, 2026
With sales like that, no wonder poinsettia promoters have been trying for decades to develop colors and varieties people will buy year-round.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 20, 2025
Their advice about poinsettia care is pretty simple: Keep temperatures and moisture consistent.
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
The spot is still there in the middle, but Mom didn’t put a poinsettia plant over it this year.
From "P.S. I Miss You" by Jen Petro-Roy
To keep them lasting longer than your New Years resolutions, you should add plant food to your poinsettias each month, Adam says.
From BBC ● Jan. 14, 2026
The poinsettias we buy today are significantly different from the tall, gangly plants botanist Joel Roberts Poinsett discovered in Mexico in 1825, after he became that country’s first U.S. ambassador.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 20, 2025
In the meantime, Weidner’s is gearing up for its big season, moving thousands of poinsettias out of its greenhouses into its sales areas or onto delivery trucks.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 20, 2025
But here’s the rub: The Ecke farming family, who grew and promoted poinsettias into a holiday staple, did their job too well.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 20, 2025
Lupita looked away from them to the poinsettias on the draperies as she relaxed in her chair.
From "Lupita Mañana" by Patricia Beatty
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