Poinsettia Poinsettia The poinsettia ( or ) ("Euphorbia pulcherrima") (also known as "Christmas Star") is a commercially important plant species of the diverse spurge family (Euphorbiaceae). The species is indigenous to Mexico. It is particularly well known for its red and green foliage and is widely used in Christmas floral displays. It derives its common English name from Joel Roberts Poinsett, the first United States Minister to Mexico, who introduced the plant to the US in 1825. "Euphorbia pulcherrima" is a shrub or small tree, typically reaching a height of . The plant bears dark green dentate leaves that measure in
Poinsettia in the growth of axillary buds is credited to Ing-Ming Lee of the USDA Agricultural Research Service. Poinsettias are susceptible to several diseases, mostly fungal, but also bacterial and parasitic. In the United States and perhaps elsewhere, there is a common misconception that the poinsettia is highly toxic. This misconception was spread by a 1919 urban legend of a two-year-old child dying after consuming a poinsettia leaf. While the sap and latex of many plants of the spurge genus are indeed toxic, the poinsettia's toxicity is relatively mild. Its latex can cause an allergic reaction in sensitive individuals. It is