A few days ago I wrote about my poinsettia plant which is blooming again this winter. North of the border we are used to the poinsettia as a potted houseplant purchased for the Christmas season, and which is often discarded after the holidays. Here in Mexico, where it is known as "flor de Nochebuena" (Christmas Eve flower), it is also popular during the holiday season, and, just as in the United States, millions of the potted plants are sold in the stores and markets.
The plant is native to Mexico and Guatemala, and it grows in the wild. In spite of the fact that the plant is mistakenly thought to be poisonous, the Aztecs used it for making medications. Their name for it was "cuetlaxóchitl" which means "excrement plant". Birds would eat the seeds and the plants would germinate from their droppings.
Outdoors, the poinsettia can grow to be a small tree. Last weekend, while we were talking a walk, Alejandro took a picture of this poinsettia, in full bloom, which has grown almost as high as the roof of the house.
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