The poinsettia

IT’S the top-selling plant every Christmas – a staggering eight million will be sold in the UK this year alone – but how much do you know about the poinsettia? It can grow to over 3.6m tall: In its native habitat its leaves can measure up to 20cm across. In fact, it’s classed as a small tropical tree – Euphorbia pulcherrima. The leaves can dye fabric: The Aztecs used the leaves to dye fabric for clothing, while the sap was said to help control fevers. Red was considered a symbol of purity, so the plants were often used as part of religious ceremonies. It used to be considered a weed: The poinsettia is a native of Mexico, where it is called La Flor de Nochebuena, (Flower of the Holy Night, referring to Christmas Eve). It was named after Dr Joel Roberts Poinsett, an amateur botanist and the first American ambassador to Mexico. He introduced the plant to the US in 1828, although initially poinsettias were dismissed as weeds.