I admittedly do not know a lot about poinsettias—other than they’re poisonous to cats. (I have three cats at home.) So when I found out December 12 is National Poinsettia Day, I casually wondered why that day was chosen. Apparently, December 12, 1851, is when Joel Roberts Poinsett, the first ambassador to Mexico, passed away, and he is the man who first brought the poinsettia to the United States after visiting Mexico. This was new information to me. I didn’t even know the plant was named after a man! (For the record, there is a lizard native to Mexico that is also named after him—the Sceloporus poinsettii.) So when December 12 rolls around, celebrate Joel Roberts Poinsett and these beautiful plants with some festive poinsettia activities!
