Poinsettia plants

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Poinsettia plant

Poinsettias are native to Mexico, where the Aztecs used the leaves to make dye and the sap to treat fevers. In Mexico the plant is called La Flor de la Nochebuena or Flower of the Holy Night, and it’s traditionally displayed in December in celebration of Our Lady of Guadalupe Day. In English, it was named after Joel Poinsett, who popularised the plant in the late 1820s while he was United States Minister to Mexico. Today, poinsettias are a traditional indoor plant gift in the Northern Hemisphere. There are more than 100 types of poinsettia, ranging from red to pink, white, yellow and purple.