by Emily Edman
From Aztec kings to the local florist: Our centuries old love affair with poinsettias. The Christmas plant that Mexico and Central America gifted the world.
Bright red poinsettia plants are everywhere this time of year and a cheerful reminder that ‘tis the season of Christmas and cheer. Hard to miss, the red-leafed seasonal wonders are at the entrance of many stores so as to remind us to take one home as we make our purchases. Poinsettias are a Christmas staple; it wouldn’t look like Christmas without them. They decorate entryways, border fireplaces, and are included in many Christmas displays and flower arrangements. Once purchased, we may read articles on how to best care for the plant or look up one of the several Youtube videos that show us how to keep it alive and well. After all, a wilted or sad looking poinsettia would not match the joyful spirit of the season.
So how did this plant that so expertly coincides with the Christmas colors of red and green come to be a Christmas must-have in our homes and offices? Where did these plants originate? Poinsettias are native to Mexico and Central America. They are found at moderate elevations from southern Sinaloa down the entire Pacific coast of Mexico to Chiapas and Guatemala. They are also found in the interior of Mexico in Guerrero and Oaxaca. (source: https://web.extension.illinois.edu/poinsettia/facts.cfm. It is a wild and perennial winter flowering shrub that can grow anywhere from ten to fifteen feet high whereas it doesn’t typically grow much beyond 3 as a potted plant. There are currently over one hundred varieties of the plant including white, pink, burgundy, marbled and speckled with red being the dominant color option.
In Mexico and Guatemala the poinsettia is aptly called, Flor de Nochebuena (Flower of the Holy Night or Christmas Eve ) or in Spain, la Flor de Pascua (Easter flower) because it has a different holiday attribution. It is said that the shape of the poinsettia flower and its leaves are representative of the Star of Bethlehem. Some believe that the red colored leaves represent the blood of Christ and the white leaves of the white poinsettia, his purity.
According to Encyclopedia Britannica, the plant “was named for Joel R. Poinsett, who popularized the plant and introduced it to floriculture while he was U.S. minister (ambassador) to Mexico in the late 1820s. What appear to be petals are actually coloured leaflike bracts (modified or specialized leaves) that surround a central cluster of tiny yellow flowers.”
(source: https://www.britannica.com/plant/poinsettia)
The Aztecs referred to the plant as the “flower that withers” or” flower on fire”. In the Nahuatl language, the flower is called "Cuetlaxochitl” or “flower that grows in residues or soil.” The Aztecs used the Poinsettia bracts to make a dye for fabrics, and used the sap to control fevers. Montezuma, the last of the Aztec kings, loved them so much that he would have the poinsettia plants brought into what is now Mexico City because the plant could not be grown in high altitude. Luckily for us, we don’t have to special order nor do we have to travel far for us to enjoy them since they are readily available at several local stores and flower shops. We buy these delicate plants as if to usher in the holiday season and tenderly care for them even if it is just for a short period of time.
In brief, thanks to an amateur botanist who brought a flower home from Mexico, the poinsettia beautifully adorns our homes and workplaces, creating a colorful and festive display, this and every holiday season.
Children’s books- The following two are available at Payson library:
The legend of the poinsettia / retold and illustrated by Tomie dePaola.
by De Paola, Tomie.
A few local places for purchasing poinsettias:
Karen’s Floral Designs
Olson’s Garden Shoppe
Walmart
Smith’s
Additional information about poinsettias
https://web.extension.illinois.edu/poinsettia/facts.cfm The Poinsettia pages: University of Illinois Extension- History, Facts, Selection, Care, etc.
Youtube:
Poinsettias for Kids Youtube video
The Miracle of the First Poinsettia A Mexican Christmas Story 🎄 CHRISTMAS STORIES 🎄 Christmas Story book read aloud on Youtube by KidFunCo
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