Question: Could you explain how the poinsettia became the most popular Christmas flower?
Answer: The development of the poinsettia as the most popular Christmas flower is an interesting process. The natural color of poinsettias is a bright red color. Together with green leaves, it becomes the perfect combination for Christmas.
The poinsettia is named after the man who first brought the plant to the United States. Joel Roberts Poinsett was appointed by President John Quincy Adams as the first United States ambassador to Mexico in the 1820s. Because of his interest in botany, he wandered the countryside looking for new plant species. In 1828 he found a beautiful shrub with large red flowers growing next to a road. In Mexico the poinsettia is a perennial shrub that grows up to 10 feet tall. He took cuttings from the plant and brought them back to his greenhouse in South Carolina.
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