It's January 16, 2016; do you know where your Pointsettia is?

In the trash, composted? It's so over. Don't you feel badly for this flower? No- well okay. But it gets a very short window of attention during the holiday season and then we really don't want to see it till next year. It is handily whisked out of sight after Dec 31. 

Too bad that this flower (well, technically the tiny middle flowers are gone, but the ivory bracts remain) can't be used for a longer season. Maybe we need a Poinsettia Challenge.

 The first time I saw a Poinsettia growing out of the ground, I was wearing a tank top over my bathing suit and headed to the beach. The tree was about 30 ft. tall with a silhouette like an open umbrella and topped with abundant red bracts (the blossom is the tiny yellow center). It was definitely an OMG moment and my brain was trying to reconcile ho,ho,ho with the sweat of a humid Floridian summer day, dampening (er, hydrating) my skin. If you live in the south, you are probably yawning by now- so what, just another poinsettia tree. It was quite an revelation for a geeky, plant loving, Maryland girl.

A Brief, but very, very, compelling Poinsettia History 
(distilled from 10 websites)

The tree is Native to Central American and Southern Mexico, hence it's comfort in the Florida landscape. The Aztecs used the plant for a purplish/red dye for textiles, cosmetics from the plant's bracts (what we think of as the flowers), and a milky sap made into a preparation for fevers. Contrary to popular belief, it's mildly toxic, but not poisonous.

How it became associated with Christmas? 

By a miracle, some would say: In the 16th century, a poor Mexican boy or girl (depending on the source) despaired that they had only weeds to present at Christmas services. As this offering was made by a child of pure heart, the bouquet burst into blooms of brilliant red, and hence became known as Flowers of the Holy Night.

 How it came to this country?

Joel Roberts Poinsett was the first Ambassador appointed to Mexico from 1825-29 by President Madison. Besides being a United States Congressman and ambassador, Dr. Poinsett was founder of the National Institute for the Promotion of Science and the Useful Arts, predecessor of the Smithsonian Institution. Yeah, Type A for sure.

And he was also an amateur botanist. While visiting the Taxco area in 1828, he became enchanted by the brilliant red blooms. 
He sent some of the plants back to his greenhouses in South Carolina, where he began propagating the plants and sending them to friends and botanical gardens.

Flash Forward

From 1923-1990, the Ecke family had a virtual monopoly on pointsettias owing to a technique that made their plants fuller and more attractive. A University researcher discovered this method in 1991, opening up the market. As of 2008 the Ecke family still served about 70 percent of the domestic market.