Secrets of the Poinsettia Plant – Curious



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“Poinsettia” is the name given to a plant in Mexico whose scientific name is Euphorbia pulcherrima, a word that in Latin means “the most beautiful”. It is also called the “shepherd’s star”. The plant is often used to decorate the holidays, mainly associated with the celebration of Christmas and Christmas Eve.

This plant has dark green leaves, and the upper ones, called bracts, can be of different colors that look like petals.

These leaves are usually red, although there are also plants with yellow, white or pink. The flower is very small, yellow in color and protected by its leaves.

In the northern hemisphere it blooms in November and December. This plant is not used for consumption, since ingestion of its leaves can cause vomiting and serious stomach disorders.

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The homeland of the poinsettia is Central America: Mexico and Guatemala.

The Meshiki Indian tribes used this plant in rituals as a symbol of purity and new life for dead warriors who died in war, as it is associated with the red color of blood. In fact, its leaves are used to make a natural dye in the manufacture of various fabrics.

The original word used to refer to this plant was “kuetlashochitl”, which in Nahuatl means “withered flower”, although there are other possible translations that identify it as “leather flower”.

After the colonization of America, this plant began to be used as an element of Christian decoration during Christmas due to the purple color of its leaves.

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A Mexican legend tells how a poor girl was very sad because she could not bring a gift to the Infant, a tradition according to which in the midnight liturgy, when the new day begins, a gift is brought to the altar for the newborn Jesus. At that moment, the boy heard a voice telling him to bring what was in his heart, regardless of its value. The girl collected the delicate green twigs with exquisite thin petals on top, which she lovingly carried to the altar at midnight. And because he was ashamed that there were no candy or sweets, he saw the green leaves turn bright red, warmed by his faith and love for Jesus. Thus, in Mexico, the flower becomes a symbol of love for God and faith in him.

In the 19th century it began to spread to other places thanks to Joel Robert Poinsett, the first American ambassador to Mexico, who during his visit to Guerrero, one of the places where a poinsettia grows and flourishes in abundance, notices it and takes it away. from him to the United States. In fact, in the United States and in some European countries, this plant is called “poinsettia” in his honor.

Currently, its decorative use is very widespread and is associated with the Christmas season due to its color and the flowering period in the northern hemisphere, which coincides with Christmas.

In its wild form as a shrub, the poinsettia can reach four meters in height, but it is popular in the world of floriculture as a decorative potted flower.

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