I Googled this holiday plant that shoots up in demand as soon as the temperature drops. The human history of it shows it's origin being Central America back in the 1800's. How did it get here? Well, the same way it got it's name. A man named Roberts Poinsett was known for traveling from the U.S. to Central America for trading purposes. He came across the plant and shipped a couple to his farm in South Carolina. The plant took off from there being featured in shows and being transplanted all the way to Southern California; where the Ecke family started growing and selling it. They are still known as the main distributor of this festive and bright plant to this day. Now, for the holiday history of this plant. It is said that a little latin girl named Pepita had no gift to bring to baby Jesus on Christmas. Her cousin Pedro told her," I'm sure that even the smallest gift, given by someone who loves him will make Jesus Happy." So she gathered some weeds and sticks and placed them in front of the nativity scene. In that moment the weeds burst into bright red leaves and to this day it is known as the 'Flores de Noche Buena', or 'Flowers of the Holy Night'. If you ask me; the second history is what makes the season bright.

Credit: Stephanie Williams