The Poinsettia is also known as “the Christmas flower” or “the Easter flower.” But, although many think it is a flower, it is a plant that belongs to the Euphorbiaceae family. It is native to Mexico and is mainly used for Christmas decorations.
They began to be used thanks to the Franciscan friars in the 16th century, since they were in charge of decorating the churches and filled them with these beautiful plants on Christmas Day, which is why this plant is related to these festivities.
As we can see in these photographs shared by Isaura Marcos in La Vanguardia Readers’ Photos, this plant is normally a very bright red color, although we can also find them in different colors, such as pale pink, fuchsia or white.
As a curious fact, its name, Poinsettia, comes from Joel Roberts Poinsett, who was the first American ambassador to Mexico and was a man passionate about the world of botany. He was the first to introduce it to his country. In Mexico, the Poinsettia is known as the “Christmas Eve plant” due to its flowering during the Christmas season.
In fact, the fame of this plant spread so much that it ended up being a tradition for many citizens and that is why December 12, 1991 was proclaimed “Poinsettia Day” as a tribute to Poinsett, who died on December 12, 1991. 1851.
In Spain this plant began to appear more widely in the early 80s and is currently cultivated in Catalonia, Andalusia, Cantabria and Murcia and up to more than 7 million units have been sold each year during Christmas.
Many people believe that it really is a flower, but what is really curious about this plant are its bracts, red leaves that surround the tiny flower. These act to attract insects and ensure pollination.
The miniflower has parts called stamens, which are like the little balls we see in flowers. These stamens are important because they produce pollen, which is necessary for flowers to reproduce. The pollen falls on the stamen and thus they reproduce.
This plant contains a strange liquid inside, like a type of white latex that is very viscous, irritating and quite thick, in fact, it has sometimes been used to burn warts.
What this latex does is protect the plant from animals that want to feed on it. But, on the other hand, it can be dangerous for people who are allergic to these substances since it is one of the least known Christmas allergies.
