Who was the poinsettia named after and what was his profession?

Answer 1

Botanist, physician and statesman Joel Roberts Poinsettia(March 2, 1774 - December 12, 1851) is the person for whom poinsettias (Euphorbia pulcherrima) are named.

Specifically, Poinsett discovered the plant growing in the wild in its native Mexico. He was impressed with the plant's bright, end-of-the-year bloom. He realized that the plant would generate a lot of interest among botanists in the United States of America. In 1828, he began sending specimens back to his own botanical greenhouses in South Carolina and to select botanist friends. He thereby became the first person known to have introduced the plant north of the U.S.-Mexico border.

Answer 2

The poinsettia was named after Joel Poinsett, the first United States Ambassador to Mexico, who "discovered" it while he was on a trip in 1828.

Answer 3

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