Why Poinsettias are the Main Christmas Flower?

Poinsettias are popular potted plants, especially during the Christmas season. Mexican Poinsettia, known as the Christmas flower in North America, is mostly used in Christmas decorations, due to its bright red colour. The plant was named by the first US ambassador to Mexico, Drs. Named after Joel Roberts Pickett, who introduced the Americas to Poinsettia in 1828 after its discovery in the wilderness of southern Mexico in 1828. The Mexican poinsettias are commonly bright red. These star-shaped bracts symbolize the Star of Bethlehem. Christmas Poinsettia flowers have become a symbol of Christmas and are used as festive decorations.

So why Poinsettias are Known as Main Flower of Christmas?

Poinsettias are native to Central America, especially southern Mexico, and they are actually colorful leaves, not flowers. So why do we consider them official Christmas flowers anyway? With the holidays we associate Pointercetia, which comes from an old Mexican legend. A young girl named Pepita was sad that she did not have any gift to give to baby Jesus on Christmas eve. Her cousin tried to convince her that Jesus would accept any gift from her even if it is something small. She didn’t have money to buy a big or expensive gift, with a few bucks left with her, so she bought a bouquet of weeds and she was more hurt and embraced than ever by the modesty of her offerings.

She felt her spirits lifted as she knelt down to lay the bouquet at the foot of the nativity scene. Suddenly, the bouquet of weeds burst into brilliant red flowers, and everyone noticed that they were certain that they had seen a Christmas miracle just before their eyes.

From that day on, the bright red flowers were known as the Flores de Noche Buena, or the sacred night flowers because they bloomed every year during the Christmas season and as such, the legend of poinsettia was born.

Considered as a symbol of purity by the ancient Aztec, in today's language, the red, white or pink pointer, the flower of December birth, is a symbol of good cheer and success and is said to bring good luck to the festival.

Facts about Poinsettias

• Poinsettias are part of the spurge family. Botanically, the plant is known as Euphorbia pulcherrima.
• Poinsettias are not poisonous
• Poinsettias have been called the lobster flower and the flame-leaf flower because of their red color,
• Poinsettia is a seasonal shrub that will grow 10 to 15 feet tall.
• Poinsettias come in colors like red, white, pink, burgundy, yellow, apricot, marbled and speckled. There are more than 100 varieties of poinsettias available till date.
• December 12 marks the death of Joel Roberts Poinsett in 1851 which is known as Poinsettia Day.

Now you know the history behind Christmas flowers, This season, bring some warmth to your loved one’s tabletop with a bouquet at their doorstep.