The Kona Times: Signs of Christmas in Kona, Hawaii

The poinsettia (/p??n's?ti?/p or /??n's?t?/) (Euphorbia pulcherrima) is a commercially important flower types of the diverse spurge family. The kinds is indigenous to Mexico. It is particularly popular because of its red and inexperienced foliage and it is trusted in Holiday floral displays. It derives its common English name from Joel Roberts Poinsett,[3] the first United States Minister to Mexico,[4] who introduced the plant to the US in 1825.

Euphorbia pulcherrima is a shrub or small tree, getting a height of 0 typically.6-4 metres (2 ft 0 in-13 ft 1 in). The place bears dark inexperienced dentate leaves that strategy 7-16 centimetres (2.8-6.3 in) long. The colored bracts--which are most flaming red but can be orange often, pale green, cream, green, white, or marbled--are often recognised incorrectly as blossom petals for their groupings and colors, but are actually leaves.[citation needed] The colors of the bracts are created through photoperiodism, and therefore they require darkness (12 hours at a time for at least five days in a row) to change color. At the same time, the crops require considerable light during the day for the brightest color. The flowers of the poinsettia are unassuming and don't attract pollinators. They are grouped within small yellowish structures found in the center of every leaf number, and are called cyathia. The poinsettia is native to Mexico. It is found in the outdoors in deciduous tropical forests at average elevations from southern Sinaloa down the complete Pacific coast of Mexico to Chiapas and Guatemala. It is found in the interior in the hot also, dry forests of Guerrero seasonally, Oaxaca, and Chiapas. Accounts of E. pulcherrima growing in the wild in Nicaragua and Costa Rica have yet to be established by botanists. There are over 100 cultivated types of poinsettia.

The Aztecs used the plant to produce red dye and as an antipyretic medication. In Nahuatl, the language of the Aztecs, the plant is called Cuitlaxochitl, meaning "flower that grows in residues or soil" Today it is well known in Mexico and Guatemala as Flor de Noche Buena, meaning Christmas Eve Flower. In Spain it is known as Flor de Pascua or Pascua, meaning Easter flower. In Chile and Peru, the place became known as Crown of the Andes. In Turkey, it is named Atat?rk's blossom because Atat?rk, the creator of the Republic, liked this blossom and made a significant contribution to its cultivation in Turkey.[citation needed] In Hungarian, it is named Santa Claus' Rose, and it's trusted as a Holiday decoration.

The plant's relationship with Christmas commenced in 16th-century Mexico, where story tells of a woman, commonly called Pepita or Maria, who was simply too poor to provide a gift idea for the party of Jesus' birthday and was inspired by an angel to gather weeds from the roadside and place them in front of the church altar. Crimson blossoms sprouted from the weeds and became beautiful poinsettias. From the 17th century, Franciscan friars in Mexico included the plants in their Christmas get-togethers. The star-shaped leaf pattern is said to symbolize the Star of Bethlehem, and the red colorization represents the blood sacrifice through the crucifixion of Jesus. Poinsettias are popular Holiday decor in homes, churches, office buildings, and across North America in other places. They are available in good sized quantities from grocery, drug, and hardware stores. In the United States, December 12 is Country wide Poinsettia Day.

Poinsettias Wallpaper

Poinsettias bloom along white, wooden fence row on the Big Island of

Poinsettias By Greg Vaughn Poinsettias Euphoriba pulcherima; red

With periodic pruning, saved holiday poinsettia plants will produce

Extreme Cards and Papercrafting: Poinsettia Hawaiian Quilt Block Card