There can be no plant more Christmassy than a poinsettia, a striking beauty that flowers for months. They’ve been linked with Christmas for centuries: legend has it that a poor Mexican boy, unable to afford a proper present to take to church, picked some poinsettias (they grow like weeds in central and southern America) to bring for his Christmas gift.
The traditional colour is festive scarlet, but these days you can get poinsettias in sophisticated shades of cream and salmon pink. Keep your poinsettia warm, though away from central heating radiators, and out of draughts. Water sparingly and you can enjoy its beautiful blooms for twelve weeks or more.
