Beloved poinsettia - Christmas favourite

The Christmas star, or Advent star, has been regarded by some as a bit dreary and has not really received the attention it deserves in recent years. But now it has received a boost, mainly because attention has been drawn to its good qualities as a cut flower. Here you can read some interesting facts about our most Christmas favourite.

The growers are constantly producing new kinds of poinsettias and there are many nice new ones every year.

It is actually the small yellow flowers at the top that are the petals themselves, not the colored bracts as many people think.

Poinsettia is another name for the poinsettia that comes from Joel Roberts Poinsett who introduced the poinsettia to the United States in the 19th century.

The Christmas star has its own day which falls on December 12.

Using the poinsettia as a cut flower works great. It has a long shelf life and is excellent for combining with other flowers and plants.

This Mexican flower is said to have gotten its red color from the heart of an Aztec goddess that burst and dripped onto the leaves.

The scientific species name means most beautiful or very beautiful. In its native Mexico, it is called Flores de noche buena, which means the flower of the holy night, and is linked to the birth of the baby Jesus.

Legend has it that the red color comes from the blood of an Aztec goddess who died of a broken heart. The story spread all the way to Europe where it probably inspired the poinsettia's French name, Etoile d'amour, or Star of Love.