No doubt about it. A row of potted poinsettias
perched in a windowsill can put a passerby into a holiday mood.
Although the ancient Aztecs prized poinsettias
for their medicinal, commercial and religious value, the plants probably would have
languished in obscurity were it not for Joel Poinsett, the first United Stated Ambassador
to Mexico. An avid amateur botanist, he chanced upon the tall fiery red wildflower in
December, 1828 while roaming the countryside. Enchanted by the alluring blooms, Poinsett
shipped cuttings back to his greenhouse in South Carolina.
The rest is history. All who saw the
exotic--looking plant were bewitched by its unique beauty, and within a decade,
poinsettias had taken their place alongside holly and mistletoe as a Yuletide tradition.
