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Sperryville
By SALLY KEYSER
987-8471
Many of us are buying poinsettias to add to our Christmas decorations but there is much we do not know about this beautiful plant.
It is a native to Mexico where it grows as a shrub. The Aztecs of Central Mexico cultivated the plant, called Cuetloxochitle. This was before the arrival of the European explores.
The Aztecs had practiced uses for the plant and made reddish-purple dye out of the bracts, and a medicine for fever from the plant's latex.
Because of its brilliant color, the poinsettia was a symbol of purity to the Indians. It was a prized ornamental by King Montezume and King Netzahualcoyotl, but it could not be grown in their capitol, now Mexico City, because of the high altitude.
During the 17th century a Community of Franciscan priests found the bright red flowers blooming naturally on the slopes of Mexico during the season of advent in December. They used the flowers to decorate their nativity celebration. This custom became, a tradition throughout Mexico.
There were many stories from Mexico that tell of the poinsettia’s enchantment. One such tale is a little Mexican girl, Pepita, whom was sad and wanted to give a fine gift to the Christ Child at the church service. She was poor and didn’t have a gift, so she gathered a bouquet of common weeds along the roadside. As she entered the church, she forgot
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