Some plants simply sit quietly on windowsills. The poinsettia? It demands the spotlight. Bright, bold, and as red as Rudolph"s nose, this December diva even has its own holiday—National Poinsettia Day, celebrated on December 12. Prior to becoming a popular Christmas decoration, this shrub had quite a journey. Long before it appeared in living rooms, it grew wild in Mexico, where the Aztecs used it for dyes and medicine. Then, in the 1820s, US diplomat Joel Roberts Poinsett spotted the plant, fell for its charm, and sent it home. The rest, as they say, is history—and botany.
National Poinsettia Day
Today in History
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Where the glow of the holidays lingers
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Mercury in retrograde
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Diving into World Oceans Day
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Everglades National Park turns 75
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Burrowing owls
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Have you turned off your electronic device?
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World Oceans Day
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Mossy Grotto Falls, Oregon
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Holidays in the Venetian Lagoon
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A traboule in Lyon, France
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Bear cubs roughhouse on Siblings Day
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Pollinators: not to be sneezed at
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Roques de Benet, Els Ports Natural Park, Catalonia, Spain
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World Sea Turtle Day
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St. Patrick s Day
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National Dolphin Day
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A dramatic view of Sicily
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Toledo, Spain
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Riding the bore tide at Turnagain Arm, Cook Inlet, Alaska
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Gone ‘lightseeing’ in Berlin
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Happy World Meteorological Day
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Martin Luther King Jr. Day
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Independence Day of the Bahamas
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Everyone s watching the Perseids
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Black bear cub emerging into spring
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Anniversary of the British Museum
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Infinity Day
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World Whale Day
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Glacial rivers in Iceland
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Taking the scenic route
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