The poinsettia (Euphorbia pulcherrima) is a plant indigenous to Mexico. It is characterised by its lower dark green leaves and upper red bracts. The flowers are small and protrude from yellow stems. It is the red of the bracts rather than the colour of the flowers that give poinsettia its appeal.
Poinsettias are common around Christmas time, but it is not just the availability of the plant at this time of year that makes it a Christmas favourite. The Aztecs called the plant Cuitlaxochitl or starflower and used it as a red dye and medicine. The Christmas association naturally comes from Mexico. It is said that in the sixteenth century a child was so poor that they could not afford to buy or even make gifts to take to the church nativity. It’s said an angel appeared to the child and said pick weeds from the side of the road and take them as your offering. This they did and they placed them in front of the church altar. Red leaves sprouted from the weeds and a poinsettia grew from the weeds.
The poinsettia was introduced to North America in 1828 by Joel Roberts Poinsett who was the first US ambassador to Mexico. December 12th is national poinsettia day in the US.