Every December, millions of poinsettias flood stores across America, their crimson leaves brightening homes for the holidays. But this iconic Christmas flower has roots that run much deeper than your local garden center—stretching back to Aztec Mexico, where it was known by an entirely different name.

From Cuetlaxóchitl to Christmas Star

Long before poinsettias adorned church altars, the Aztecs cultivated them as cuetlaxóchitl (kwet-lah-SHO-cheetl), a Nahuatl word meaning "mortal flower that perishes and withers like all that is pure." The Aztecs used the plant's white sap to control fevers and crushed its brilliant red bracts (modified leaves, not petals) into dye for textiles and cosmetics.

When Spanish conquistadors arrived in the 16th century, they eventually rechristened the plant Flor de Nochebuena—"Flower of the Holy Night" or "Christmas Eve flower." By the 1700s, Franciscan priests were incorporating these scarlet blooms into nativity processions, cementing their association with Christmas.

The Legend Behind the Name

Mexican folklore tells of a poor child who wanted to offer a gift to baby Jesus during Christmas Eve mass but had nothing to give. Kneeling outside the church, the child gathered humble roadside weeds. When placed before the nativity scene, the weeds miraculously transformed into brilliant red nochebuenas—proof that the smallest gesture, given with love, becomes precious.

This legend reinforced the poinsettia's connection to Christmas and explains why it's considered the Flower of the Holy Night throughout Latin America.

How an Ambassador Made It Famous

The plant might have remained a Mexican treasure if not for Joel Roberts Poinsett, the first U.S. ambassador to Mexico. In 1828, the amateur botanist was so captivated by the crimson plants that he shipped cuttings back to his South Carolina plantation. He propagated them, shared them with botanical gardens, and inadvertently gave the plant his name.

By the early 1900s, the Ecke family in California had developed techniques to make poinsettias bloom reliably indoors, transforming them into America's best-selling potted plant. Today, approximately 70 million poinsettias are sold in the U.S. during a six-week holiday period each year.

Still Blooming in Its Birthplace

In Mexico, poinsettias grow wild in the tropical highlands and can reach heights of 10-15 feet—a far cry from the compact tabletop versions we know. During Las Posadas (the nine nights before Christmas),nochebuenas still decorate homes, churches, and public squares, just as they have for centuries.

The flower remains deeply woven into Mexican Christmas traditions, a living bridge between ancient Aztec cultivation and modern holiday celebrations. Every time you see those scarlet leaves, you're looking at a plant that has symbolized both Aztec purity and Christian devotion—truly a flower worthy of the Holy Night.

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