| Once upon a time, a little Mexican boy was | | | | appointment by President John Quincy Adams as |
| walking to church to see the Nativity scene. He | | | | the first United States Ambassador to Mexico |
| thought hard about a gift to bring the Christ child, | | | | (then called Minister of Mexico). |
| but had no money to buy one. "Jesus will | | | | That was a tumultuous time in Mexico, and, to |
| understand," thought the little boy stopping to | | | | make matters even more difficult, Poinsett's |
| gather a few bare and weedy branches lying at | | | | impossible task was to buy the Mexican land we |
| the side of the dusty road, "because my gift will | | | | know as Texas, for a million dollars. However, the |
| be given with love." | | | | Mexicans did not want to sell Texas and, in 1829, |
| When the little boy reached his destination, people | | | | they invited the hapless Ambassador Poinsett to |
| already in the church turned to see the gift he | | | | leave. |
| had brought and, when they saw what it was, | | | | In 1828, shortly before his absence was |
| they laughed at him. | | | | requested, Poinsett, an avid amateur botanist, |
| As the little boy determinedly marched up to the | | | | was visiting the Mexican state of Taxco where he |
| altar and laid the branches by the edge of the | | | | first saw the plant that would eventually be |
| manger, an abundance of bright red flowers | | | | named after him. He shipped samples to South |
| suddenly began to bloom. | | | | Carolina, where they were called "Mexican Fire |
| Since that day, the Poinsettia is known worldwide | | | | Plant." The Aztecs had called the plant |
| as The Christmas Flower. | | | | "Cuetlaxochitl," and from the 14th-Century to the |
| Perhaps this story is a fairy tale. Perhaps not. | | | | 16th, used the sap to control fevers. The leaves |
| Who is to say? | | | | were also used to make dye. Montezuma, the last |
| It's certainly true that the Poinsettia originated in | | | | of the Aztec kings, was forced to have |
| the south of Mexico, wending its way to the | | | | Poinsettias caravaned from the south into what |
| United States of America in the admiring custody | | | | now is Mexico City because the plant could not |
| of one Joel Roberts Poinsett. | | | | grow in such high altitudes. |
| Poinsett (1779-1851), was born in Charleston | | | | Upon his return to the U.S., Poinsett shared the |
| South Carolina , and educated in Europe and the | | | | plant with friends and botanical gardens worldwide. |
| U.S., studying medicine, military strategy, and the | | | | Around 1836, scholar William Hickline Prescott, |
| law. He became a member of South Carolina's | | | | author of The History of the Conquest of Mexico, |
| House of Representatives and subsequently held | | | | and after whom the town of Prescott Arizona is |
| many prominent political positions. He also | | | | named, was given the honor of renaming the |
| spearheaded the founding of the Smithsonian | | | | plant. It has been known Poinsettia ever since. |
| Institution. | | | | While these facts are interesting, there are those |
| Fluency in Spanish (as well as French, Italian and | | | | of us who prefer the apocryphal tale of a little |
| German) resulted in Poinsett's diplomatic | | | | boy and the miracle of The Christmas Flower. |