How poinsettias became a Christmas staple, from the Aztecs to today

Poinsettias are a staple during the holiday season, and its origins as a Christmas plant dates back before Christmas was celebrated in the Americas.

Robin Buterbaugh, of South Dakota State University Extension, said the popular flower originated in Mexico and Central America, and it was cultivated by the Aztecs before colonization.

The Aztecs used the plant for different ceremonial decorations, dyes and for medicinal purposes.

After colonization, a young woman was traveling to visit a nativity scene, but she did not have a gift to present. She picked some poinsettias to make a bouquet and placed them at the nativity scene.

“Interestingly enough, legend has it that the flowers then bloomed bright, bright red, and it was then known as the flor nochebuena, or the Christmas Eve flower,” Buterbaugh said.

After that, the colors red and green became more associated with Christmas, and poinsettias became the staple flower for the holiday.

The flower is modernly known as poinsettias after the U.S. Ambassador to Mexico John Poinsett who brought the plant to the U.S. in the early 1800s for cultivation, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

Now, they are even used to fundraise around the holidays. Wellstar West Georgia Hospice sold thousands of poinsettias this year for the 36th annual fundraiser, which helps pay for patient care services for hospice patients in LaGrange.

Volunteers, including Troup County Sheriff’s Office, the Georgia State Patrol and West Point Police, delivered around 3,800 poinsettias this year, according to the LaGrange Daily News.