In the northern parts of the United States, the poinsettia is a Christmas-time plant. It is grown in greenhouses and used as decorations in homes and churches. In the southern states poinsettias grow in gardens. Originally, the poinsettia came from Central America and Mexico and was brought to the United States by Dr. Poinsett of Charleston, South Carolina, for whom it was named.
Poinsettias grow from two to six feet high and have clusters of tiny yellow flowers surrounded by a brilliant red rosette of bracts. Recently, white and pale pink poinsettias have been developed. The green leaves grow rather sparsely on slender, smooth, sometimes crooked stems. Growing outdoors, or inside in a pot, the poinsettia likes shade and moisture.
