Poinsettia

mysticalmysty · December 2019

When you think about Poinsettias you will think about Christmas, but what do you know more about poinsettia 🤔, here’s some fun fact about this magnificent Christmas plant :
1. Poinsettias are part of Euphorbiaceae or spurge family as known as Euphorbia pulcherrima, and as like many Euphorbiaceae family, poinsettia ooze milky sap that people with latex allergies have had skin reaction after touching their leaves, while for pets many cause mild irritation and nausea, so the best to keep away from your lovely puppies or kittens.
2. There are more than 100 varieties of poinsettias available today, they come on traditional red, white, pink, burgundy, marbled and speckled.
3. In Nahuatl, the language of Aztecs, poinsettia was called ‘ Cuitlaxochitl ‘ meaning flower that grows in residue or soil and they used the color bracts to make reddish purple dye for fabric and used the sap for fever medicine.
4. Today the plant is known in Mexico and Guatemala as ‘ La Flor de la Nochebuena ‘ ( flower of holy night ). In Peru and Chile they called ‘ Crown of Andres ‘ while in Spain has a different attribution, it is known as ‘ Flor the Pascua ‘ meaning Easter Flowers. Poinsettia have also been called Lobster Flower and Flame Leaves due to the red color.
5. Poinsettia received it name in United State in honor of Joel Roberts Poinsett who introduced the plant in 1828. And to this day Poinsettias are the best selling potted plant in United States and Canada.
6. The showy colored parts of poinsettia are actually colored bracts ( modified leaves ) the actual flower itself called cyathia are the yellow part in the middle.
7. December 12th is Poinsettia day, which marks the death of Joel Roberts Poinsett in 1851, and in Mexico, poinsettias is displayed in celebration of the ‘ Dia de la Virgen ‘, which also coincidentally, December 12th.