Or if you prefer, you can let the plant die about mid-February and get a new one for the next holiday season. Poinsettias are native Mexican plants. They love the holiday season because they are short-day plants that require long nights to launch their color change. The colorful bracts of these plants are leaves, not flowers, with the most common bract color being red. The flower buds are the red or green buttons in the center of the bracts that open to a small yellow flower.
Healthy poinsettias have dark green leaves below the bracts and foliage all the way to the base.
Poinsettias are named after Joel Roberts Poinsett, who was the first ambassador from America to Mexico. He was a great ambassador but is best remembered for bringing the poinsettia plant back to his home in South Carolina in 1828. He had a greenhouse there and began growing and giving the plant to friends and neighbors. The poinsettias became popular, and many people began seeking their beautiful color for the Christmas season. In 1906, a man named Albert Ecke started a small poinsettia growing operation in Los Angeles.