Poinsettia

History of the Poinsettia: Part Two

by robert coute on December 2, 2010

Last week we started a look into the history of the poinsettia by seeing the regions of the world where poinsettia grows wild and the characteristics that have made it such a striking and impressive holiday flower.

Now we want to start looking at how this blossom came to be known as the most famous Christmas flower and exactly how it gained the iconic position it holds today.

Pre-Colonial Use of the Poinsettia

As we described in part one of our look at the history of the poinsettia, the flower grows indigenously throughout regions of Mexico, mainly, and also parts of Central America. Because of its striking colour and the uses that it can be applied in it has always been an important plant to residents of these regions.

The Aztecs called poinsettias cuitlaxochitl, a word that roughly translates to “flower that grows in residues or soil” in the Aztec language Nahuatl. The poinsetta (or cuitlaxochitl) was used by the Aztecs to extract red dye and as a medication and, because of its beauty and functionality, it was an important flower in their culture.

Poinsettia as the Christmas Flower

With the arrival of European colonizers, the poinsettia became known for different reasons. Throughout Guatemala and Mexico it came to be known as Noche Buena (“Christmas Eve” in Spanish) and Flor de Pascua (“Easter Flower”) in Spain. It was also significant in South American cultures, with Chilean and Peruvian populations calling it a name that translates to “Crown of the Andes”.

It became part of Christmas traditions beginning in 16th century Mexico, where the influence of Christianity and Spanish culture began to give birth to a brand new holiday symbol.

Next time we’ll look at the evolution of the poinsettia, tracing how it came to be such an iconic flower in Christmas traditions by seeing its growth from Mexican folk bloom to an internationally recognized holiday symbol. We’ll see just how the Mexican tradition began and how it spread throughout the world.

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The history Of the Poinsettia: Part 1

by robert coute on November 25, 2010

There are a number of flowers that immediately bring the holidays to mind and, perhaps the most recognizable and iconic, is the poinsettia. Its vibrant red and green leaves are a symbol of Christmas and of the winter season in general.

We want to look at the history of the poinsettia, examining what it is, where it grows and how it became one of the most famous holiday flowers.

What is a Poinsettia?

The poinsettia is also known as euphorbia pulcherrima and exists in more than a hundred different cultivated varieties. It grows as a smaller tree or shrub, is characterized by dark green dentate leaves and bright red bracts/leaves. Although red is the most famous colour of poinsettia bracts, they can also range from cream, pink, white, orange, pale green or marbled tones.

This change in colour comes from the amount of darkness and light available to the plant. This process — known as photoperiodism — requires at least 12 hours of darkness for colour changing and intense light during the daytime for bringing out bright tones.

Where Does the Poinsettia Grow?

Poinsettia grows wild throughout Mexico and Central America and is native to deciduous tropical forests. It is most often found on the western coast near the Pacific ocean at moderate elevation levels. Poinsettia grow indigenously from Sinaloa’s south and along the nation’s coasts through Chiapas and Guatemala. It can also grow in Central America’s interior in seasonally dry, high temperature forests in Oaxaca, Guerrero.

Unconfirmed sightings have been made as far away as in Costa Rica and Nicaragua as well by amateurs but have yet to be officially acknowledged by botanists. Over time, the poinsettia has come to be found in many different regions that it does not grow native in. It does best in the conditions mentioned above however and requires the proper alternation of light and dark.

In our next installment of the history of poinsettias we’ll look at how this flower came to be so important as part of Christmas and holiday celebrations.

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