fuckyeahlatinamericanhistory:

Poinsettias, originally called cuitlaxochitl in Nahuatl, were introduced to the United States in the 1820s by Joel Roberts Poinsett, the country’s first minister to Mexico and the flower’s American namesake. The plant itself is native to Mexico and Central America, where it has been used as part of Christmas celebrations since the 17th century. Before that, the plant and its flowers were used by the Aztecs/Mexicas for medicinal purposes and as a source of red dye.