This traditional Christmas flower is not actually a flower at all. Well, at least what we usually think of as a flower. The poinsettia's bright red "petals" are its leaves, and the flower is the tiny yellow cyathia structure in the center. A plant native to Mexico, it was brought to the United States in the early 1800s, and by the early 1900s, its bright red and green leaves had grown to become a staple of holiday decorations.

12.06.22