Long before the poinsettia was introduced to the U.S., it was cultivated by the Aztecs near the present-day Taxco, in southern Mexico. The red ‘flowers’ were a symbol of purity to the Aztec people. They also processed the flowers to make a red dye and the latex (milky sap) of the plant was used for a medicine against fever. The first known use of poinsettias for holiday celebrations occurred in the 17th Century , when a group of Franciscan priests settled in the Taxco area. Since the poinsettias bloom during the Christmas season, they began to utilize the plant in nativity processions. It wasn’t until 1825, however, that the plant became known to the United States. Joel Robert Poinsette, a botanist and the first U.S. Ambassador to Mexico, had some plants sent to his home in Greenville, South Carolina. He shared the plants with other plant enthusiasts and now December 12, National Poinsettia Day, recognizes Poinsette’s contribution to the holiday season and greenhouse industry. Poinsettias are one of the most important floricultural crops in the U.S. Total U.S. poinsettia production was valued at $325 million in 1997.

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