Joel Roberts Poinsett Archives

From cuetlaxochitl to Poinsettia: The botanical diplomacy of Joel Roberts Poinsett

This botanical history post was featured on The Daily Gardener podcast: Click here to see the complete show notes for this episode. March 2, 1779 Dearest reader, On this day, we celebrate the birth of Joel Roberts Poinsett, a remarkable physician, botanist, statesman, and diplomat whose name today graces one of the most beloved holiday…

Joel Roberts Poinsett: Botanist, Statesman, and the Namesake of the Poinsettia”,The Daily Gardener

Joel Roberts Poinsett, an American statesman, diplomat, and botanist, best known for introducing the poinsettia plant to the United States.

The Painted Leaf March 2, 1779 Today is the birthday of the physician, botanist, and American statesman, Joel Roberts Poinsett. In the 1820s, President John Quincy Adams appointed Joel to serve as a US ambassador in Mexico. Joel was introduced to a beautiful plant that the Aztecs called the cuetlaxochitl (“qwet-la-SHO-chee-til”) but today it’s better…

March 2, 2021 Gardens Matter to Pollinators, Joel Roberts Poinsett, John Jacob Mauerer, A Spring Flower Show, Fermented Vegetables by Kirsten and Christopher Shockey and the State Flower of Idaho

The Daily Gardener Podcast Album Cover with a pot of rosemary - the herb for remembrance - beckoning gardeners to remember to listen to the show. Updated September 2025.

John Drayton, South Carolina’s botanical governor and the discovery of yellow honeysuckle

The Two-Time South Carolina Governor Today is the anniversary of the death of a two-time Governor of South Carolina, the founder of the University of South Carolina, a writer, and a botanist John Drayton. Drayton grew up in Charleston, a hub of botanical activity. He knew the French royal gardener Andre Michaux and his son,…

December 2, 2019 Plant Science Careers, Dirk Denison Home, Cheesy Acorn Squash, Johann Julius Hecker, James Edward Smith, John Lewis Russell, Ferdinand Lindheimer, Gardenlust by Christopher Woods, Gardeners Hand Cream, and December’s Birth Flower

Subscribe Apple | Google | Spotify | Stitcher | iHeart Support The Daily Gardener Buy Me A Coffee Connect for FREE! The Friday Newsletter | Daily Gardener Community Curated News Most young scientists will not study plant science. So why did I? | @talkplant Great post from Dr. Rupesh Paudyal @talkplant: “The best conversation killer…

Six Popular Plants Named for Famous People and Botanists

A vivid cluster of bright pink bougainvillea bracts, surrounding small white blossoms. The flowers fill the frame with their striking, papery texture and intense color, capturing the lively character of this ornamental plant.

“Leonard Fuchs, a German botanist, discovered the plant known as fuchsia, while William Forsyth, a Scotch botanist, is responsible for the name forsythia.” August 1, 1950 On this day, The Ithaca Journal, out of Ithaca, New York, published a question from a reader. The reader wanted an answer to this question: Please list a few…