Poinsettias are a wonderful Christmas tradition in Jamaica and worldwide. You can find these brilliant red blooms everywhere during the holiday season, and they are great for gift-giving and holiday decorating.

This beloved Christmas icon comes in more than 100 varieties and a range of colours, from traditional red to pastel yellow, white, pink and even speckled varieties.

So what does the poinsettia have to do with Christmas? A centuries-old legend tells of a poor Mexican girl named Pepita who could only offer weeds as a gift to the Christ child on Christmas Eve. Her cousin Pedro urged her to give the humble gift. When she brought the weeds into a church, they blossomed into brilliant red flowers. Then they were called Flores de Noche Buena (Spanish for Flowers of the Holy Night).

Selecting Your Poinsettia

Choose plants with dense, abundant, dark-green leaves and thoroughly coloured and expanded bracts. The bracts are the colourful part of the poinsettia, while the true flowers are the small yellow centres. Damaged and wilting leaves indicate poor handling or fertilisation, lack of water, or root disease problems.

Find the Ideal Spot

To keep them looking good, give poinsettias a sunny, south-facing windowsill or bright filtered light.

Watering and Feeding

Poinsettias should be watered regularly and kept evenly moist. Never let plants sit in water; always empty their saucers or planters shortly after watering.

Top Tip: Leaf Drop

It's common for a few poinsettia leaves to turn yellow and drop off when you first bring them home. Don't be alarmed - the plant is just reacting to its new living conditions.

Source: agrograce.com, plants.com