The Christmas Poinsettia

Poinsettias are a native plant to Mexico. They can be found growing in the wild in dense tropical forest down the entire Pacific coast of Mexico to Chiapas and Guatemala. They are also found in hot, seasonally dry forests in the middle of Mexico.

The Poinsettia was named after Joel Roberts Poinsett after he introduced the poinsettia plant to the United States from Mexico. Poinsett was a botanist, physician and the first United States Ambassador to Mexico.

In Mexico, the Poinsettia is a perennial shrub and can grow up to 10-15 feet tall! In New Zealand, this festival plant is used for Christmas decoration on tables as the shape of the flowers and leaves looks like the Star of Bethlehem.

There are more than 100 varieties of poinsettias available today. Poinsettias come in colors like the traditional red, white, pink, burgundy, marbled and speckled.