What is the name of the Christmas plant with bright red leaves?

The Christmas plant with bright red leaves is the poinsettia.

Its scientific name is Euphorbia pulcherrima, and it is native to Mexico and Central America. The red parts that attract attention are not flower petals but modified leaves called bracts. The plant’s tiny yellow flowers sit in the center of each colored cluster.

Poinsettias became linked with Christmas through Mexican and Central American traditions, including Franciscan celebrations in Mexico from the 17th century. The plant’s common English name honors Joel Roberts Poinsett, the first U.S. minister to Mexico, who introduced it to the United States in the 1820s.

A common mix-up is assuming every poinsettia is red. Cultivated varieties also have white, pink, cream, orange, green, and marbled bracts. Their color develops when the plant receives long, uninterrupted periods of darkness, which is why commercial growers carefully control its light schedule.