Euphorbia pulcherrima, the botanical name, or poinsettia as we call it is native to Mexico and Guatemala in Central America. Poinsettias are fascinating winter blooming small shrubs or trees which can grow anywhere from about two to sixteen feet tall. People not familiar with poinsettia plants believe that the colored bracts are the actual flowers. But the flowers, called cyathia, are located at the center of each leaf bunch. The history of poinsettia plants dates back to the Aztecs.

1. History and Facts of Poinsettia Plants – Euphorbia pulcherrima
Euphorbia pulcherrima, the botanical name, or poinsettia as we call it is
native to Mexico and Guatemala in Central America. Poinsettias are part of the
Euphorbiaceae family. Many plants in this family ooze a milky sap. The
botanical name, Euphorbia pulcherrima, was given to the poinsettia by German
botanist, Karl Ludwig Wilenow. The plant grew through a crack in his
greenhouse. Dazzled by its color, he gave it the botanical name Euphorbia
pulcherrima, meaning “very beautiful”.
The History of the Poinsettia in its native Habitat
The Aztecs in the fourteenth through sixteenth centuries called this plant
“Cuetlaxochitl” in their native Nahuatl language. Cuitllatl means “residue” and
xochiti means flower, thus it is “the flower that grows in the residues or soil”.
Montezuma, the last of the Aztec kings, had poinsettia plants brought up to
what is present day Mexico City by caravans. The Aztecs saw the plant as a
symbol of purity and used it as a dye and against fevers.
Seventeenth century Spanish botanist Don Juan Balme mentions poinsettia
plants in his writings. He found the plant flourishing on the slopes and in the
valleys near Cuernavaca. He described the plant as having large green leaves
and a small flower surrounded by brilliant red bracts, almost as if for protection.

2. At the same time the Spanish Franciscan Friars, who settled in the Taxco
region of southern Mexico, included the timely winter grown red blooms of the
plants in their Fiesta de Pesebre, the Nativity procession. The star-shaped leaf
pattern is said to symbolize the Star of Bethlehem and was named “Noche
Buena” meaning Christmas Eve. The name “poinsettia” is derived from Joel
Roberts Poinsett who was the first United States Minister to Mexico from 1825
to 1829. Mr. Poinsett first brought poinsettia plants to America.
Poinsettias are fascinating winter blooming small shrubs or trees which can
grow anywhere from about two to sixteen feet tall. Dark green leaves which are
about three to six inches in length add to the festive appearance of this plant.
The colored bracts of poinsettia plants are actually leaves. Colors of the bracts
can be red, pink, orange, white, or marbled. These colored bracts are caused by
photoperiodism. Many flowering plants use a photoreceptor protein, such as
phytochrome or cryptochrome, to sense changes between daylight and the
darkness of night or photoperiod, which they take as signals to flower.
People not familiar with poinsettia plants believe that the colored bracts are the
actual flowers. But the flowers, called cyathia, are located at the center of each
leaf bunch.
Poinsettia plants are considered toxic by many. But this is not the case. They
may cause mild skin irritations to some individuals who are sensitive to it. If any
part of the plant is ingested, it may cause an upset stomach, diarrhea and
vomiting. In addition, the sap that exudes from a broken branch may cause
temporary blindness if it comes in contact with the eyes.

3. History of the Poinsettia Arrival in the Unites States and its Name
The poinsettia was introduced to the United States by Mr. Poinsett in 1828. He
had sent and brought cuttings from Mexico to his greenhouses in Greenville,
South Carolina. He shared these cuttings with friends and other horticulturalists
he knew at the time.
Euphorbia pulcherrima, the name originally given by German botanist Karl
Ludwig Wilenow was changed to “Poinsettia” in honor of Mr. Poinsett in 1836 by
William Prescott, the historian and horticulturalist, who was asked to rename
the plant. In his newly published historical work at the time on Mexico, Conquest
of Mexico, Mr. Prescott details Mr. Poinsett’s discovery of this beautiful plant in
the area of Taxco del Alarcon in southern Mexico.
During the 1920s Albert Ecke and his son Paul became interested in poinsettia
plants which grew wild in southern California at this time. As these plants
bloomed during the Holiday season both Albert and Paul thought that this would
be a perfect plant to introduce to the public. Paul continued to foster the idea of
making the poinsettia the official holiday flower for Christmas. They grew
fields of poinsettia plants and began to sell them commercially. The plants were
initially sold at roadside stands in the Hollywood and Beverly Hills area.

4. In 1923 the family moved their business to Encinitas, about 2 hours south of the
very fast developing area around Los Angeles. Encinitas proved to be the
perfect location for growing poinsettias as it mirrored the growing conditions of
its native Mexico where these plants grow wild.
From 1923 to the mid-1960s they grew fields of poinsettia mother plants, and
shipped them to plant nurseries around the country that purchased them for
cultivation and future commercial sales. Paul personally traveled the country
promoting the plant to nurseries nationwide and encouraged nursery owners to
market the plant as a holiday flower.
But this changed in 1963 when the first commercial-quality poinsettia cultivar
was developed. It grew best as a potted plant and was introduced to the public.
This dramatically changed the nature of commercially growing and selling
poinsettia plants. Even for the Ecke Family Business, they moved indoors from
the fields to growing these smaller plants in greenhouses. They began shipping
by air freight rather than by rail.
Paul Jr. with his marketing ideas to always keep the poinsettia plant in the public
eye used the very popular growing medium of television to promote these bright
red and later red and white potted flowering plants. They became a part of the
scenery in most every popular TV show and all the Christmas Specials during
the holiday season. No holiday scene would be complete without at least one
blooming poinsettia plant.

5. Today Dr. Ruth Kobayashi continues to produce new poinsettia hybrids for the
Ecke family. Dr. Kobayashi’s work resulted in the knowledge of the most
important poinsettia genetics known today. In 2002 ‘Prestige Red’ was
introduced known for its outstanding branching capabilities and very sturdy
stems. ‘Prestige Red’ quickly became the number one selling red poinsettia.
Presently experiments continue to breed other species with the Euphorbia
genus. Currently there are more than 100 varieties of poinsettias available.
Here are some of the cultivar names exhibiting some of the most spectacular
poinsettia colors available today: Cortez Red, Cranberry Punch, Flirt, Galaxy
Red, Marblestar, Nutcracker Pink, Monet, Plum Pudding, Silverstar White,
Sonora Fire, Victory Red, White Christmas, Spotlight Apricot, and Pearl.
In addition many commercial growers have cultivated new plants which have
longer lasting bract colors and lasting foliage that can survive poor watering
schedules. Poinsettia growers have characteristically made today’s plants bruise
resistant and more flexible with less fragile bracts that can survive shipping
without dropping their leaves that allows them to arrive beautifully intact to the
stores and nurseries for retail sales.
Copyright © Bob Walsh
www.howtogrowplumeriafrangipani.com