No Christmas holiday is complete without the poinsettia. Before it was called poinsettia, the bright red plant was called cuetlaxochitl (kut-la-sho-she) by the Aztecs. In Mexico, the poinsettia is a perennial shrub that can grow 10 to 15 feet tall.

The poinsettia has been included in Christmas celebrations in Mexico since the 17th century. The star-shaped leaf pattern is said to represent the Star of Bethlehem, and the color red symbolizes the blood of Jesus.

There are many legends about the poinsettia. One tells of a poor Mexican girl, who wanted to place an offering at the altar for the baby Jesus, but she could find no flowers, so she gathered

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