What is the significance of poinsettias

Poinsett, who dabbled in botany when he wasn't politicking between nations, sent cuttings of the plant back to his South Carolina home. While it wasn't initially embraced, its caught on over the years, and by the 20th century it was a holiday mainstay. In fact, National Poinsettia Day is celebrated on Dec. So what does a poinsettia have to do with Christmas?

One interpretation of the plant is as a symbol of the Star of Bethlehem, the heavenly body that led the three magi, or wise men , to the place where Christ was born. A Mexican legend tells of a girl who could only offer weeds as a gift to Jesus on Christmas Eve. When she brought the weeds into a church, they blossomed into the beautiful red plants we know as poinsettias, known as Flores de Noche Buena in Mexico Spanish for "flowers of the holy night". A common myth that has existed for generations is that a poinsettia's leaves are poisonous.

Although it's probably not a good idea to have a competitive-eating contest with poinsettia bracts since they could cause diarrhea, research has shown that a child could consume as many as poinsettia bracts without any toxic effects [source: Perry ].

A tot who accidentally nibbles on a leaf may not feel well, but the consequences won't be fatal. The plant does ooze a milky sap if you cut its stem, which some people are allergic to. The ancient Aztecs called them 'cuetlaxochitl'. The Aztecs had many uses for them including using the flowers actually special types of leaves known as bracts rather than being flowers to make a purple dye for clothes and cosmetics and the milky white sap was made into a medicine to treat fevers.

Today we call the sap latex! The poinsettia was made widely known because of a man called Joel Roberts Poinsett that's why we call them Poinsettia! Poinsett had some greenhouses on his plantations in South Carolina, and while visiting the Taxco area in , he became very interested in the plants.

He immediately sent some of the plants back to South Carolina, where he began growing the plants and sending them to friends and botanical gardens. One of the friends he sent plants to was John Bartram of Philadelphia. Regardless of the color, poinsettia flowers possess similar meanings. For the most part, these flowers symbolize success, good cheer, and even purity although this latter meaning is no longer quite as common.

Interestingly, the Aztecs were the first people to cultivate poinsettias. In the United States, cultivation of these plants did not begin until Joel Poinsett sent plants home to South Carolina. The Aztecs originally used poinsettias to produce dyes and also as antipyretic medications. In Spain, the poinsettia is a traditional Easter flower. Poinsettia tattoos can help you unfold the magic of the holidays and bring it to life right on your skin. Poinsettias are appropriate flowers during the holiday season, but you could really give someone one of these illustrious blooms at any time of the year.

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