Daily Health News Blog

December 12th is National Poinsettia Day. The flowers of the poinsettia plant, called cyathia, are the yellow clustered buds in the center. The red, pink, or white colored parts are actually the leaves. Poinsettias have also been called the “Lobster Flower” and “Flame Leaf Flower.” Red poinsettias account for about 75 percent of all sales nationwide. There are more than 100 varieties of poinsettias available. More than 65 million poinsettia plants are sold each year, accounting for one-third of sales of all flowering plants year round and 85 percent of potted plant sales at Christmas. California is the top poinsettia producer, followed by Texas, North Carolina, Ohio, and Michigan. The Aztecs used to use the poinsettia leaves to dye fabric for clothing. The poinsettia plant is named after Dr. Joel Roberts Poinsett, an amateur botanist and first U.S. ambassador to Mexico. The poinsettia plant is not considered a poisonous plant by the National Poison Center, but ingesting...