History of Poinsettia

The Poinsettia was introduced from Mexico in 1825 by Joel Roberts Poinsett. During his stay in Mexico as a United States Ambassador, he discovered a beautiful shrub with large red flowers. Having a keen interest in botany, he sent cuttings of the shrub back to his greenhouse in South Carolina. The plant was named in his honour.

There have been many historical references to the poinsettia. During the 14th to 16th century, the Aztecs used sap from poinsettias (called "Cuetlaxochitl" to control fevers and the flowers were used to make a reddish dye. Montezuma, the last of the Aztec kings, had poinsettias brought into what is now known as Mexico City in great volumes, because they could not be grown in the high altitude.