Legend has it that long ago, a poor Mexican girl picked weeds from the roadside to place before the nativity scene in her small church. When she placed the bouquet on the altar, the weeds burst into brilliant red blooms. The child ran back to her village, exclaiming that she had witnessed a Christmas miracle.
The miracle lives on, though it's mainly in the variety of colors that have been developed. Millions of poinsettias are sold each year in November and December. Red is the most popular color, but they now come in white, pink, rose, and peppermint.
The flower was named after Joel Poinsett, a U.S. ambassador to Mexico who sent the plants to his hothouse in South Carolina in the early 1800s. The rest is history.
Contrary to popular belief, poinsettias are not poisonous unless you (or your dog) eat a peck of leaves. But they are sensitive. When carrying poinsettias home, be sure to protect them from wind and cold. Keep them out of temperatures below 50 degrees.
