Today is National Poinsettia Day

Yes, while Poinsettias are a beautiful plant and something which brightens any day, today is the day to especially appreciate and celebrate them. I would love to have Poinsettias at my house, but I have the black thumbs of death and have been grounded forever by my grown children and grandchildren from every having plants again - they all say I am "cruel and unusual punishment - for the plants." So, instead I very happily enjoy Poinsettias at Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park as they have so many of them as part of their Holiday Traditions exhibit! I'm happy to share with you some really interesting facts about Poinsettias - did you know . . .

• In the 1300s Poinsettia plants were prized by Aztecs who produced a vibrant red dye.
• The legendary Aztec king believed that poinsettia sap reduced fevers so he had caravans deliver the flowers to him in what is now modern Mexico City.
• 1600s ​Spanish botanist Juan Balme referenced the poinsettia plant in his writings, calling them by their Aztec name, Cuitlaxochitl — meaning “star flower."
• Given that the most popular poinsettia color is red, you may be surprised to learn that among the current 100 varieties of poinsettias, Gold Rush and Christmas Beauty Marble are the latest hot new colors.
• Contrary to popular opinion, poinsettias are not poisonous, but it's still a good idea to keep them away from pets because the plants might cause stomach upset and in some cases, vomiting.
• Poinsettias are the best-selling potted plant in both the U.S. and Canada.
• Poinsettias are able to bloom after the holidays, but you have to do a ton of work during the spring and summer to get them to do it.
• Poinsettias thrive best in tropical dry forests and were historically found within a vast stretch of North and Central America, from Mexico to Guatemala’s south. Today they’re most commonly found on the Pacific Coast in hard-to-access canyons.
• When grown in the right conditions, poinsettias are more like a shrub or a small tree which can grow up to 13 feet tall!
• The most colorful parts of poinsettias aren’t actually their flowers. These highly contrasting parts of the plant are instead a type of leaf called a bract. The flowers themselves are small, yellow, and found within the middle of the colorful bracts.

You will find more Poinsettia facts at this link and this link - share them with the children you love - it is a fun way to connect with them today on National Poinsettia Day!