Poinsettias were first introduced into the United States by Joel Robert Poinsett in 1825. Poinsettias are actually native to Mexico, where they grow wild. Poinsett was an amateur botanist and the first ambassador to Mexico. He introduced poinsettias to the United States when he first brought some cuttings to his plantation in Greenwood, South Carolina. National Poinsettia Day is on December 12, and it honors Poinsett and the plant which he made famous on his death anniversary in 1851.

You can trace the legend of the poinsettia to a Christmas Eve a few centuries ago. A little girl called Pepita did not have any presents to give to the Christ child. So, she gathered up some weeds from the road while she was on her way to the church. It was then that a miracle happened. As she was approaching the altar, the weeds in her hands bloomed into beautiful flowers - Flowers of the Holy Night or Flores de Noche Buena.

The poinsettia was called Cuetlaxochitl by the Aztecs. They used the bracts to make a reddish purple dye. The poinsettia is called the Crown of the Andes in Peru and Chile. Poinsettias are perennial flowering shrubs and they might grow up to ten feet in height. They are also known as the Flame Leaf Flower in some places.

Poinsettias come in a wide range of colors – from white to pink to red, with shades of yellow and peach in between these. It also comes in more than a hundred varieties. The newer varieties include flecked, marbled, and even wrinkled bracts (bracts being the colored part of the plant). Poinsettias are grown in all the fifty states of the United States, from tiny plantings. The maximum majority of poinsettias are from the Paul Ecke Ranch in California.

A lot of people have the mistaken belief that poinsettias are poisonous. However, people at the Ohio State University have done some research which has proved that poinsettias are not toxic to animals or humans. Actually, out of 22,793 poinsettia exposures which have been reported by Children’s Hospital in Pittsburgh and Carnegie Mellon University, no toxicity was found. People who love pets do not have to reject the poinsettia from their homes. However, it is a good idea to keep the plant away from your pets, specifically cats, not due to toxicity, but to prevent it from upsetting your pet’s stomach due to the fibrous tissues.

Based on its size, shape, variety, decorative trim and quality, poinsettias could come from under $10 to more than $100. buy plants which are colored thoroughly, with green foliage, strong stems and without signs of wilting. They need indirect sunlight, room temperature, and light to moderate soil temperature. Soggy soil, cold drafts and too much heat should be avoided. The most common problems are usually over-watering and very high temperatures.

If you plan carefully, you could make poinsettias last through and beyond Christmas, and it could also be a nice gift and a festive season decoration.