The Poinsettia plant known worldwide as the flower of the Christmas season undoubtedly adds the “Christmas touch” to homes and offices like nothing else can. 

The Poinsettia scientifically known as Euphorbia pulcherrima, or noche buena, is a shrub or small tree, typically reaching a height of 0.6 to 4 m (2 to 16 ft).
The plant bears flaming red leaves that measure 7 to 16 cm (3 to 6 inches) in length.
The star-shaped leaf pattern is said to symbolize the Star of Bethlehem, and the red color represents the blood of Christ.
The beautiful poinsettia was discovered in 1800 by the first US minister to Mexico, Joel Roberts Poinsett, who was also an avid botanist.
It is said that one Christmas long ago as Poinsett strolled through the markets of Mexico City, he noticed the exotic, flaming flowers that people were buying to decorate their homes and churches.
The Mexicans had many names for the plant: flor de fuego (fire flower), flor de Pascua (Christmas flower), flor de la Nochebuena (flower of the Holy Night).

Poinsett became fascinated with the strange flowers, which grew wild in the Mexican and Central American hot lands.
He dubbed the brilliant red plant “painted leaves” because of its bright red petal-like leaf.
Poinsett took the plant back to the United States, and propagated it.
It did not take him long to share the jungle plant with other botanists.

One nurseryman was so grateful for the opportunity that he named the plant the “poinsettia” after Poinsett.
There is a legend of the poinsettia which comes out of Mexico.
It tells of a girl named Maria and her little brother Pablo. They were very poor but always looked forward to the Christmas festival.

Each year a large manger scene was set up in the village church, and the days before Christmas were filled with parades and parties.
The two children loved Christmas but were always saddened because they had no money to buy presents.
They especially wished they could give something to the church for the Baby Jesus. But they had nothing.
One Christmas Eve, Maria and Pablo set out for church to attend the service.
On their way they picked some weeds growing along the roadside and decided to take them as their gift to the Baby Jesus in the manger scene.

Of course other children teased them when they arrived with their gift, but they said nothing for they knew they had given what they could.
Maria and Pablo began placing the green plants around the manger and miraculously, the green top leaves turned into bright red petals, and soon the manger was surrounded by beautiful star-like flowers.
The poinsettia is not cultivated locally but is imported from places like the United States, Canada and Mexico and the price tag relative to other plants may be a bit high.
But for many locals the sight of the flaming red plant and its flowers in their homes and patios at Christmas time is a sight worth paying for.

(By Clifford Stanley)