Every year, just after Thanksgiving, it emerges en masse at nurseries, big-box retailers, fundraisers, and holiday parties. Poinsettias prefer moist, well-drained soils with a soil pH between 5.5 and 6.5. You may also see it written as La Flor de la Nochebuena, which means Flower of Christmas Eve. Like most native products flowers fruits and the like are known today with English names as is the custom since people like Poinsett saw the flower and introduced in the US and the rest is part of the folclore. Oleander ( Nerium oleander ), also known as rose bay, is native to the Mediterranean region eastward to India and southern China. He began growing the plant in the tens of thousands for the Christmas season, when other flowers were scarce. Press Enter or Space to enter content for each tab button. Mexico; "Poinsettia" was the name of . In Mexico, the poinsettia is called "flores de nochebuena," which translates as flowers of the Holy Night. It was almost certainly seen by early European explorers and colonists, but somehow never entered cultivation in Europe. Check out our Christmas quotes video on YouTube. 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. That pop of floral color in everyone's home means the holidays are right around the corner. Check out this guide to making a poinsettia candy cane vase. by. After suffering for two weeks with uncontrollable itching, hives and fevers, I found out the sap is poisonous to animals and some humans. Long before the arrival of Europeans, the Aztecs of central Mexico cultivated the plant and called it Cuetlaxochitl. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.". [7], It was known by the common name "poinsettia" as early as 1836,[8] derived from Joel Roberts Poinsett, a botanist and the first US Minister to Mexico. The plant bears dark green dentate leaves that measure 716 centimetres (2.86.3in) in length. The modern common name poinsettia arose from Grahams description, and as the plant spread rapidly in cultivation in the UK and Europe it was known under the name poinsettia. Poinsettia is our nations most popular potted flowering plant. Want to learn more about this beautiful plant? This process, in response to certain amounts of light or lack thereof, turns the . [33][34], The Aztecs were the first to cultivate poinsettias. He resided in Mexico from 1825 to early 1830. In 92.4% of calls, there was no effect from exposure, and in 3.4% of calls there were minor effects, defined as "minimally bothersome". Here are some more poinsettia facts for you to enjoy! Go back and get it! Growingfood sovereigntywith an African Diaspora focus. In fact, it provides 80% of the poinsettias in the United States, and about 50% of the worlds supply of poinsettias! in . The Legend of the Poinsettia as a Christmas Plant, take care of poinsettias and otherChristmas plants, Poinsettia Care: How to Take Care of Poinsettia Flowers, Best Flowering Trees and Shrubs for Your Garden. (Grahams new genus Poinsettia has since been returned to Euphorbia. A man passionate about science, Poinsett insisted that scientists be included in these global travels. Then touch the surface of the soil. [42], American Association of Poison Control Centers, "Beschreibung zweier neuen Euphorbien aus Mexico", "The Poinsettia: History and Transformation", "Poinsettia's wild ancestor in the Mexican dry tropics: Historical, genetic, and environmental evidence", "The Legends and Traditions of Holiday Plants | Horticulture and Home Pest News", "The Legends and Traditions of Holiday Plants", "The poinsettia: Jesus' life story in a plant", "The bloom is off the poinsettia business", "How America's Most Popular Potted Plant Captured Christmas", "First Report of Wilt and Stem Canker of Poinsettia (Euphorbia pulcherrima) Caused by Phytophthora nicotianae in Puerto Rico", "Poinsettias: Helping an Icon to Bloom at the Right Time", "How Poinsettias Became Synonymous With Christmas", Plant Pathology Fact Sheet: Poinsettia Diseases, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Poinsettia&oldid=1135037680, This page was last edited on 22 January 2023, at 06:36. Native to southern Mexico and Central America, the poinsettia has become symbolic of the holiday season for many Americans. Gently firm the soil around the plant and water well. It was almost certainly seen by early European explorers and colonists, but somehow never entered cultivation in Europe. [11] Nothing is known about pollination in wild poinsettias, though wasps are noted to occasionally visit the cyathia. [6] Klotzsch credited Carl Ludwig Willdenow with the species name "pulcherrima", and the authority is given as Willd. The beautiful red part of the poinsettia isnt actually a flower! If you have kids make sure you check out our posts on another symbol of Christmas Santa Claus! [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. 1. The poinsettia flower is native to Central America - specifically, an area in southern Mexico called "Taxco del Alarcon" - and the plants were used by the ancient Aztecs to make a purple dye for clothing and cosmetics. Creating this institution was a big task and there wasnt a clear idea how it would work. [9] Cultivation in the US began when diplomat Joel Roberts Poinsett sent some of the plants back to his greenhouses in South Carolina in the 1820s. Poinsettias are also one of the two birth flowers of December (the other is Narcissus). If it feels light, it may need water. Omissions? They also used the poinsettias' milky white sap wax to create a medicine to treat fevers. Even if you have a limited holiday decorating budget . Custom programming and server maintenance by Reinvented Inc. With proper care, poinsettias stay beautiful throughout the holiday season. If that's your experience, it's time you learned about growing poinsettia plants outside. Discover the legend of the poinsettia! 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. Poinsettia is a short-day plant, meaning it needs long periods of uninterrupted darkness each day in order to bloom. #poinsettiafacts. Poinsettia resembled a known North American native, Euphorbia heterophylla and so for a time it was referred to under that name. Skin exposure to the sap may cause itchiness, redness, or swelling. https://extension.missouri.edu/media/wysiwyg/Extensiondata/NewsAdmin/Photos/stock/plants/Poinsettia-ARS.jpgThe poinsettia's small flowers are surrounded by colorful leaves called bracts. As you can see from the poinsettia story, poinsettias have long held religious significance. For the best experience on our site, be sure to turn on Javascript in your browser. They became associated with the Christmas holiday and are popular seasonal decorations. Though often stated to be highly toxic, the poinsettia is not dangerous[4] to pets or children. If you enjoyed learning these facts about poinsettias, and discovering National Poinsettia Day, youll be excited to know there are actually several national days of the year dedicated to plants. The poinsettia ( / pnst ( i) /; [1] [2] [3] Euphorbia pulcherrima) is a commercially important flowering plant species of the diverse spurge family Euphorbiaceae. They also used the poinsettias' milky white sap wax to create a medicine to treat fevers. The Ecke family of southern California began growing Why are the leaves on a poinsettia plant red? In the wild, poinsettia plants are native to the Pacific coastline of southwestern Mexico and Guatemala. It is native to the countries of Mexico and Guatemala. Welcome Center: Open Friday & Saturday, 9:30 am4:30 pm, Public Restrooms: Open MondaySaturday, 9:30 am4:30 pm. When the cyathia are missing, the plant is likely past its prime. The poinsettia is native to Mexico and Central America, where it grows in moist, wet, wooded ravines and on rocky hillsides. After its introduction in Philadelphia, the poinsettia was shipped around the country during the 1800s, usually as an outdoor plant for warm climates. Fungal diseases affecting greenhouse poinsettia operations include Pythium root rot, Rhizoctonia root and stem rot, black root rot, scab, powdery mildew, and Botrytis blight. Every year in the United States, approximately 70 million poinsettias of many cultivated varieties are sold in a six-week period. Between 1833 and 1836 the poinsettia went through a rapid series of scientific names as it was described and published in the US and Europefirst Pleuradena coccinea, then Poinsettia pulcherima, and finally Euphorbia pulcherima. Want to add poinsettias decor to your holiday table this year? The poinsettia is native to Mexico and Central America, where it grows in moist, wet, wooded ravines and on rocky hillsides. poinsettia, ( Euphorbia pulcherrima ), well-known member of the spurge family ( Euphorbiaceae ), commonly sold as an ornamental at Christmastime. The poinsettia flower is native to Central America - specifically, an area in southern Mexico called "Taxco del Alarcon" - and the plants were used by the ancient Aztecs to make a purple dye for clothing and cosmetics. It's a perennial shrub that was once considered a weed and will grow 10 to 15 feet tall in the wild. Specific details about its spread from there are largely unverifiable, but it was exhibited at the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society's 1829 Philadelphia Flower Show by Colonel Robert Carr. 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. Heres a tweet to get you started: On July 22, 2002 Congress agreed that December 12 would become National Poinsettia Day. You say poin-set-ee-uh, I say poin-set-uhbut lets call the whole thing off because the name of the ubiquitous holiday plant can be pronounced either way. [5], An attempt to determine a poisonous dose of poinsettia to rats failed, even after reaching experimental doses equivalent to consuming 500 leaves, or nearly 1kg (2.2lb) of sap. They write new content and verify and edit content received from contributors. 3 B. [40], In the late 1980s, university researcher John Dole[41] discovered the method previously known only to the Eckes and published it, allowing competitors to flourish, particularly those using low-cost labor in Latin America. The poinsettia (Euphorbia pulcherrima) is known all across the world as the flower of Christmas. I know often this happens in "short histories". The Mexican poinsettia, known as the Christmas Flower in North America, is used in most Christmas decorations, owing to its bright red color and its blooming season coinciding with the Christmas holiday season. To find the real (Nahuatl) name for this beautiful plant, check out the real history on my Facebook page. Buist was a great popularizer of the new plant, but has undeservedly received major credit for its introduction. Legend links it with the birth of Christ and a little shepherdess named Madelon. [22] In 1944, the plant was included in H. R. Arnold's book Poisonous Plants of Hawaii on this premise. In 2002, an Act of Congress made it official. December 12, 2023. Water well and place the newly-potted plant in front of the brightest window you have, and once again keep it at a temperature of 65 to 75 degrees Fahrenheit. 5400 Lindbergh Boulevard When Poinsett began to grow his namesake plant in Charleston after his return, it probably returned to him via the Philadelphia nursery community.. How did a tropical plant become an unlikely symbol of the Christmas holiday? To narrow it down, these flowers originated from the quaint little town of Taxco de Alarcn in Mexico. And in the same region there were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. It derives its common English name from Joel Roberts Poinsett, the first United States minister to Mexico, who is credited with introducing the plant to the US in the 1820s. All available evidence suggests that the poinsettia was first sent to the Bartram Garden in Philadelphia in the fall of 1828.
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