Pity the poinsettia. After becoming the butt of so many jokes that the jokes themselves are the cliché, this hard-working holiday plant deserves better. Look at these pale beauties and then tell me you don't want one in your house this Christmas:
Indigenous to Mexico, the poinsettia originally had an Aztec name: "Cuetlaxochitl." Thank you, Joel Roberts Poinsett, for bring the plant to the United States in the early 1800s—and for having a surname that simplified matters for us non-native Náhuatl speakers.
A big reason for the poinsettia's 20th century surge was a breakthrough in breeding: small, compact, red bushes captured the Christmas market. But let us not forget that the poinsettia comes in other calmer colors. We love those shades: pink, salmon, cream, blush, white. Here's what we mean:
Above: Pink pixie poinsettias, arranged by Saipua. These particular plants came from the 28th Street Flower Market in New York; ask your florist for a local source.
Above: Blush-colored poinsettias are also a lovely foil to other flowers in an arrangement. For a step-by-step tutorial, see Coco and Kelley.
Above: A potted poinsettia from The Home Depot in its nursery pot (painted gold). Photograph by John Merkl.
Above: A white poinsettia in a 4€ basket from the flea market. Photograph via My Secondhand Life.
Above: A white poinsettia in a Skurar bowl ($9.99) from Ikea.
Looking for Holiday Floral Inspiration? See our Photo Gallery for Botanical Ice Lanterns and Advent Wreaths from Foraged Flora.