Indigenous to Mexico and Central America, the poinsettia was first described by Europeans in 1834. Check out our Christmas quotes video on YouTube. Map of Central America. Intolerant of the cold, in the North, it is grown almost exclusively indoors. Updated. Want to learn more about other plants that are associated with the Christmas holiday? Left and right arrows move across top level links and expand / close menus in sub levels. Philadelphia nurseryman Robert Buist 1st sold the plant as Euphorbia poinsettia, although a German botanist had already given the plant the botanical name Euphorbia pulcherima. Picking Poinsettias - The Epoch Times The Christmas flower, also called the poinsettia flower and the poinsettia plant, is native to southern Mexico and Central America. It has been hypothesized that the inaccessibility of the canyons may protect the wild populations from human disturbance. A German botanist, Wilenow, named it Euphorbia pulcherrima (most beautiful) in 1833, the correct scientific name to this day. Custom programming and server maintenance by Reinvented Inc. Ecke Ranch is now the largest producers of poinsettias in the world. Cultivated and valued in Central America long before the arrival of Europeans, Euphorbia pulcherrima (meaning very beautiful Euphorbia) is known more commonly as Poinsettia. Central America is very narrow. A. Contents 1 Description 2 Christmas tradition 3 Creation of the American poinsettia industry 4 Cultivation 4.1 Diseases 5 Rumoured toxicity 6 References 7 External links Description Pick up the pot. Are you a Southwest artist? Poinsettias, just like most members of the Euphorbiaceae plant family, do not like wet soil, he said. [29] The star-shaped leaf pattern is said to symbolize the Star of Bethlehem, and the red color represents the blood sacrifice of the crucifixion of Jesus. The poinsettia is said to have been used by . Click here for instructions on how to enable JavaScript in your browser. Poinsettia was one of my mother's favorite plants.La flor de Pascua era una de las plantas preferidas de mi madre. His father was a prominent physician and as a boy, Poinsett was educated by his father and private tutors. Poinsettia (Euphorbia pulcherrima) is the traditional flower associated with Christmas and the top-selling flowering potted plant in the United States. [11] In Spain it is known as flor de Pascua or Pascua, meaning 'Easter flower'. ENH1083/EP349: Poinsettias at a Glance - University of Florida . C. Carl Linnaeus. She is a freelance writer, specializing in content related to fashion, food and drink and film industry topics. It was almost certainly seen by early European explorers and colonists, but somehow never entered cultivation in Europe. Each of the plants associated with Christmas hold a significance to the holiday deeply rooted in history, and poinsettias are no different. Poinsettias are not poisonous. In order to post comments, please make sure JavaScript and Cookies are enabled, and reload the page. The poinsettia, a red-leafed plant that appears everywhere around Christmastime, first came to the United States in the late 1820s. Poinsettia: Indoor Plant Care & Growing Guide - The Spruce [32] In the US, December 12 is National Poinsettia Day, marking the anniversary of Joel Roberts Poinsett's death. [8], Euphorbia pulcherrima is a shrub or small tree, typically reaching a height of 0.64 metres (213ft). The poinsettia's small flowers are surrounded by colorful leaves called bracts. 2 (March/April), Funding Agricultural Business Development With Federal and State Grants, Dairy Grazing: Genetics of the Grazing Cow, Interpretation of Laboratory Analysis of Biosolids Samples, Medical Image Data Collection & Management, Agricultural Business and Policy Extension, Exceed - Regional Economic and Entrepreneurial Development, Mid-America Trade Adjustment Assistance Center, Missouri Small Business Development Centers, Missouri Procurement Technical Assistance Centers, Veterinary Extension and Continuing Education, Missouri Council for Activity and Nutrition, https://extension.missouri.edu/media/wysiwyg/Extensiondata/NewsAdmin/Photos/stock/plants/Poinsettia-ARS.jpg, equal opportunity/access/affirmative action/pro-disabled and veteran employer. They are named after the first U.S. Minister to Mexico Joel Poinsett, who introduced the plant to. Native to Mexico, the plant is called Flor de la Noche Buena (Flower of the Holy Night) due to its resemblance to the Star of Bethlehem. 80% of the poinsettias sold in the United States come from Ecke Ranch in Encinitas, California. This process, in response to certain amounts of light or lack thereof, turns the . In 1834, Europeans first described the poinsettia. [32], Until the 1990s, the Ecke family, who had moved their operation to Encinitas, California, in 1923, had a virtual monopoly on poinsettias owing to a technique that made their plants much more attractive. Place the plant in the soil at the same depth it was growing in the container. Head to Always the Holidays for facts about poinsettias as well as their history, origin, meaning and symbolism! 5 Things You Should Know About: Central America - WorldAtlas Mistletoe is poisonous to pets and can cause illness in humans. The Poinsettia Pages - University of Illinois Extension [28] From the 17th century, Franciscan friars in Mexico included the plants in their Christmas celebrations. March 1, 2023, Publication date: The colored "flowers" are actually specialized leaves called bracts, while the true flowers are inconspicuous beads found in the center of the bracts. They were cultivated by the Aztecs for use in traditional medicine. After creating these displays, he urged that James Smithsons money be spent to create a national museum. It was introduced to the United States in 1828 and got its name from Joel Roberts Poinsett. Discover the legend of the poinsettia! The Eckes' technique made it possible to get every seedling to branch, resulting in a bushier plant. In Mexico, the poinsettia is known as Flor de Nochebuena, or Christmas Eve Flower. And an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were filled with great fear. Did you enjoy learning those facts about poinsettias? Nicknamed Mr. The poinsettia flowered in Edinburgh for the first time in the spring of 1835, but imperfectly. This is the most likely route for plants of the poinsettia to Bartrams Garden. Bract color in poinsettia mutates very easily, Trinklein said. Vavilov recognized _____ centers of origin of cultivated plants. it caused property damage estimated at $22.5 million, as well as the only reported fatality in. Bring the Garden home! When did poinsettias originate? Rafinesque recorded the brief history of the plant in Philadelphia to date: The Botanical Garden of Bartram received some years ago from Mr. Poinsett our ambassador in Mexico, a fine new green-house shrub, akin to Euphorbia, with splendid scarlet blossoms, or rather bracts. Choosing the anniversary of Poinsetts death for National Poinsettia Day serves as a reminder of his contribution to making poinsettias available to the United States. Poinsett was so impressed by the beauty of these plants that he sent cuttings back to hisplantation near Georgetown,South Carolina,where they were propagated and called the Mexican Fire Plant. The plant was shared with botanical gardens and growers across the country. Among the contents were the stumps of a strange-looking Euphorbia, which, after a few months growth, showed some very brilliant crimson bracts. (The young Buist soon built a very successful career on the new scarlet plant, and as a result he was credited with the introduction of the poinsettia to Europe in 1834.). In Spain, Puerto Rico, and other Central America countries it's known as Flor de Pascua or Pascua, meaning Christmas Flower. The . To find the real (Nahuatl) name for this beautiful plant, check out the real history on my Facebook page. December 12 has been officially designated by the U.S. Congress as National Poinsettia Day in honor of the first Ambassador to the new Republic of Mexico, Joel Poinsett, as well as of American businessman, Paul Ecke Jr., who later successfully marketed the poinsettia worldwide. Poinsettia: America's most popular flower | MU Extension Enter and space open menus and escape closes them as well. PDF Selecting and Maintaining Poinsettias - Mississippi State University How can you ignore the fact that it is rooted in Aztec history, specifically? (215) 729-5281 Native to southern Mexico and Central America, the poinsettia has become symbolic of the holiday season for many Americans. The successful transport of live plants from Mexico to Philadelphia in 1828 was almost certainly due to the fact that a number of friends of Bartrams Garden were on the scene in Mexico. Poinsettia is our nations most popular potted flowering plant. Positioned in the planet's northern and western hemispheres the Central America isthmus is bordered in the northwest by the country of Mexico, and in the southeast by the country of Colombia. Poinsettia Care Tips: 17 Golden Rules For A Poinsettia Plant As mentioned earlier, the poinsettia is a symbol of Christmas because of a Mexican legend telling a poinsettia story set during the holiday. A South Carolinian Is Creditied With Introducing The Poinsettia To America Up and Down arrows will open main level menus and toggle through sub tier links. Tired of Poinsettias? Bah, Humbug! - Smithsonian Libraries and Archives Poinsettia in Spanish | English to Spanish Translation - SpanishDict [23] Contact with any part of the plant by children or pets often has no effect, though it may cause nausea, diarrhea, or vomiting if swallowed. How did a tropical plant become an unlikely symbol of the Christmas holiday? You might be interested to know that each aspect of the poinsettia flower holds religious symbolism and has a different meaning. The poinsettia is a native plant of Mexico and originated in a rather limited region near present day Taxco. It blooms in the depths of winter in the mountains of Central Europe. N. I. Vavilov followed up work on the origin of cultivated plants by a Swiss botanist named A. Alphonse de Candolle. What looks like petals are specialized leaves called bracts. Poinsettias were brought from Mexico to the United States through way of South Carolina by Joel Roberts Poinsett. Dont forget to share these poinsettia facts with your friends on twitter. You can skip fertilizer or plant food, Trinklein said. After the new scarlet euphorbia was introduced to the public in 1829, the plant was widely propagated, and became a popular mainstay of the Philadelphia florist trade. Poinsett found in Mexico an exotic plant that blooms red, pointy leaves not petals during winter. Buist had trained at the Edinburgh garden, and he returned to Scotland in 1831 to acquire stock for his new nursery business. This comes from the poinsettia story featuring a little girl named Pepita based off a Mexican legend. December 12, 2023. There are over 100 varieties of poinsettias available in shades of red, pink, white, and yellowsolids, streaked, marbled, and multicolored. The shape of the plant looks like a star. Robert Buist, a Philadelphia nurseryman, remembered seeing the first poinsettia roots unpacked at Bartrams Garden in 1828: On my arrival in this country from the Royal Botanic Gardens in Edinburgh, in 1828, I paid a visit to the famed Bartram Botanic Garden, and there saw two cases of plants which had just arrived from Mexico. He became intrigued by the plant and sold them from street stands. There are seven countries in Central America: Guatemala, Belize, El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, and Panama. Use Tab key to loop through the section below. Chapter 24 Flashcards | Quizlet Central America Map - Map of Central America Countries - WorldAtlas Poinsettias have also been called the lobster flower and the flame-leaf flower, due to the red color. Categories Christmas, Fun Facts, Holidays. In their native region of southern Mexico, poinsettias flower during the winter season. Want to add poinsettias decor to your holiday table this year? What Is Another Name For Poinsettia - Bescord [15], Pulcherrol and pulcherryl acetate are among the components of latex. in . Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree. Though often stated to be highly toxic, the poinsettia is not dangerous[4] to pets or children. During this period, perhaps in the winter of 1827-1828 Poinsett encountered the unnamed plant that now bears his name. Long before the arrival of Europeans, the Aztecs of central Mexico cultivated the plant and called it Cuetlaxochitl. Infection by poinsettia branch-inducing phytoplasma is actually desirable, as it keeps the plants shorter with more flowers. The new euphorbia was re-named Poinsettia pulcherrima by Robert C. Graham, Regius Professor of Botany at Edinburgh, in an article prepared both for Curtiss and the Edinburgh New Philosophical Journal. The poinsettia, native to Mexico, was given the botanical name Euphorbia pulcherrima, which literally means "very beautiful." Its popular name honors Joel Roberts Poinsett, the first U.S. ambassador to Mexico, who introduced the plant here. a plant, Euphorbia (Poinsettia) pulcherrima, of the spurge family, native to Mexico and Central America, having variously lobed leaves and brilliant scarlet, pink, or white petallike bracts. David Trinklein 573/882-9631. Poinsettia plants are native to Central America, especially an area of southern Mexico known as Taxco del Alarcon, where they flower during the winter. You cant talk about poinsettias without mentioning the name Paul Ecke. . I know often this happens in "short histories". It is particularly well known for its red and green foliage and is widely used in Christmas floral displays. Poinsettia: America's most popular flower - KTTN-FM 92.3 and KGOZ -FM 101.7 Every year, just after Thanksgiving, it emerges en masse at nurseries, big-box retailers, fundraisers, and holiday parties. National Poinsettia Day Poinsettia Colors, Symbolism, Facts & more! America's First Poinsettia: The Introduction | Bartram's Garden Scientifically, the Poinsettia is known as Euphorbia pulcherrima meaning the most beautiful. [14], Aztec people use the plant to produce red dye and as an antipyretic medication. They didn't become traditional. Poinsett was Secretary of War and loathed Indigenous Americans, helping to force them westwards which is ironic since this plant is native to the Americas and was so important in Indian history.