Q. What is the number one potted plant sold in the United States?
A. Poinsettia
Poinsettias were introduced into the United States in 1825 by Joel Robert Poinsett. He was the first United States Minister to Mexico. He discovered the beautiful red-flowering shrub in the Mexican countryside and brought back cuttings to his own greenhouse in South Carolina.
It seems like poinsettias, or Euphorbia pulcherrima, can be found everywhere around Christmas. They account for about 85% of the potted plant sales during the holiday season. Native to Mexico, they were a favorite of the last Aztec king Montezuma. He would have them brought by caravans into Mexico City because they would not grow in such a high altitude.
