The Christmas Eve flower from Mexico
The poinsettia (Euphorbia pulcherrima) is native to Mexico and Central America, where it grows as a shrub that can reach well over head height. The Aztecs called it cuetlaxochitl, and in Mexico today it is the flor de Nochebuena, the Christmas Eve flower. Its English name honors Joel Roberts Poinsett, the first US minister to Mexico, who sent cuttings home to South Carolina in the 1820s. December 12, the anniversary of his death, is observed as National Poinsettia Day. The red parts are not petals but bracts, colored leaves that surround the true flowers: the small yellow-green clusters in the center. Poinsettias color up in response to long autumn nights, which is why growers can time them for December. Despite its reputation, the plant is only mildly irritating if eaten, not deadly, though it is still best kept away from pets.
Red, white, pink and the varieties in between
Every image is a single bloom on its own, with no pot, foil wrap or bouquet, so it can sit on a card, a tag or a wreath without clashing. The set covers the classic red poinsettia with bright bracts and green leaves, a pink bloom seen from above with its golden center, a white variety with creamy bracts against dark green leaves, a second pink variety in soft blush, a marbled variety in cream and pink, a red bloom on a leafy stem, a speckled red-and-white variety, and a red bloom on a woody brown stem with two leaves. The non-red varieties are the ones to reach for when a design needs to feel wintery or elegant rather than traditional.
Christmas cards, church bulletins and Nochebuena
Poinsettias are the flower of the holiday season from late November through New Year's. Use them on Christmas cards, holiday party invitations, cookie-exchange flyers, gift tags and Christmas dinner menus. Churches traditionally fill the altar with potted poinsettias, so the red blooms fit Advent and Christmas Eve service bulletins and the memorial dedication lists that often go with them. The flor de Nochebuena name makes the set a match for Spanish-language greetings and Las Posadas flyers. Florists, garden centers and school fundraisers selling plants can use a bloom on order forms, and December 12 posts for National Poinsettia Day need exactly one red poinsettia.
Red and green with the rest of Christmas
The palette is the classic Christmas pair: bright and deep reds in the bracts, deep green leaves, and a small golden accent at each center, with cream, blush pink and speckled white in the other varieties. For a full holiday sheet, combine poinsettias with holly, pine cones and Christmas ornaments, or add a red Northern Cardinal for a winter-bird card. The gallery belongs to the Christmas hub. White and cream poinsettias look best on a dark green, navy or kraft background, where their pale bracts stand out.
Printing reds that stay red
Each PNG is 2048x2048 pixels on a transparent background, about 6.8 inches square at 300 DPI. Deep reds are where home printers struggle most: print a test on your actual card stock, since matte and uncoated papers absorb ink and turn bright red slightly brick-toned. For a wreath, arrange five or six blooms in a ring, alternating the full open blooms with the stemmed ones, and fill the gaps with holly. Gift tags at about 2 by 3 inches fit one small bloom in a corner. If you order printed Christmas cards, finish the design by early November to leave room for shipping.