Rain on my Poincettia

It is pouring rain here in Tampa and has been all day. Poinsettias appear magically at our home every year at Christmas time (my dear sweetheart and caroler is responsible I know!) and decorate our home during the holiday season. These are raindrops I tried to capture on plants just out in front surrounded by Christmas lights.


I found the history of Poinsettias so interesting. They are native to Mexico and the Aztecs called the poinsettia Cuetlaxochitl. During the 14th - 16th century the sap was used to control fevers and even used to make a reddish dye. Montezuma, the last of the Aztec kings, would have poinsettias brought into what now is Mexico City by caravans because poinsettias could not be grown in the high altitude. Interestingly, Roberts Poinsett was the first United States Ambassador to Mexico, being appointed by President John Quincy Adams in the 1820's. During his stay he looked for new plants. In 1828, he found a beautiful shrub with large red flowers and he took cuttings and brought them back to the United States. Later he named the plant the poinsettia in honor of his discovery.