Aside from being the most commonly distinguished holiday flower of all, the Christmas poinsettia is also the most famous Christmas potted plant, with thousands being sold all over the United Kingdom and the United States annually.
Famous for its name as 'the Christmas flower,' 'the lobster flower,' or 'the Mexican flame leaf,' the poinsettia has a quite colorful history way back to the ancient Aztec people who considered the plant as a mark of purity. Some hundred years later, Christians in Mexico believed its star-shaped leaves is a sign of the Star of Bethlehem that guided Joseph and Mary to the stable where Jesus was born. This and together with the fact that the plant was always in full bloom during Christmas time, made people relate them with the holiday, being the reason why they are mostly used during that particular time of year for decorating.
Poinsettias also have a place in Mexican tale that tells why the typically red plants are known as Christmas flowers. A long time ago, a poor child was said to be roving down a road on Christmas Eve on his way to church troubled that he didn't have a present to offer the Christ child on his birthday. He singled out a few weeds growing along side of the road and brought them into the church where the parishioners said that any modest gift given out of love was sufficient, pretty soon the weeds turned into a colorful red and green leaves, making the people call it a Christmas miracle.
Presently, the poinsettia plant can be found in a number of different colors in addition to the traditional Christmas red. The plant blooms naturally in hues of cream, pale, lemony yellow, pinks and peaches, both with marks of gold and white throughout its leaves, which are mistakenly called flowers but are in fact the plant's upper leaves known as the bracts.
contrast to popular belief, the poinsettia, or any part of the whole plant, is not venomous. Scientific studies conducted by several units like the Ohio State University or the Carnegie Mellon University and Children's Hospital, both in Pittsburgh, didn’t find any toxic substance related to the plant.
Though the issue of the plant being poisonous is already settled and cleared, the flower is still not meant to be eaten by humans or animals, as it may cause a cat or a dog to get an upset stomach after consuming a number of them. However, there's no need for pet owners to steer clear of enjoying the splendor of the poinsettia at Christmas time for fear of an unintentional poisoning.
In great tribute to the man who initially introduced the now well-known plant to the country, December 12th has been proclaimed as the National Poinsettia Day in the United States, marking the date of the demise of Joel R. Poinsett. Aside from having the Christmas plant named after him, fascinatingly enough, Poinsett has also been given credit to founding The Smithsonian Institute.
Since its Christmas time, why not buy a fine-looking Poinsettia and have it planted in a pot and placed on window sills. There is a wide array of Christmas Poinsettia plant available anywhere in the world.
Resource: http://www.isnare.com/?aid=371253&ca=Short
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