You may be surprised to know that poinsettias are not actually flowers! What looks like petals are specialized leaves called bracts. You cant talk about poinsettias without mentioning the name Paul Ecke. His son, Paul Ecke Jr. impacted the history of poinsettias by helping the horticultural industry push for floral and nursery crops to be included in the US Department of Agricultures research budget. Youll know all the history behind them, and their connection to the museum. It is particularly well known for its red and green foliage and is widely used in Christmas floral displays. in . What look like petals are specialized leaves called bracts. [18][19][20][21] One of the triterpenoid skeleton is investigated as foundation to drugs for Alzheimer's disease. As Christmas is quickly approaching, its the perfect time to talk about poinsettias. 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. [11] In Spain it is known as flor de Pascua or Pascua, meaning 'Easter flower'. The poinsettia, a red-leafed plant that appears everywhere around Christmastime, first came to the United States in the late 1820s. The third largest continent on Earth covers an area of 24.7 million km (9.5 million sq mi) and is situated in Earth's western hemisphere. The son of a French physician, Poinsett was appointed as the first United States Ambassador to Mexico (1825-1829) by President James Madison. Winter Rose Red. And this will be a sign for you: you will find a Baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger." It makes it hard to pick just one! With proper care, poinsettias stay beautiful throughout the holiday season. 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. [8], Euphorbia pulcherrima is a shrub or small tree, typically reaching a height of 0.64 metres (213ft). Some have even been treated with dyes, painted, or sprayed with glitter. A conservation risk typical for species with wild and cultivated populations is the contamination of the wild gene pool by hybridization with cultivated individuals. Today, Poinsettias are not only the most popular Christmas plant, but the best-selling potted plant in the United States and Canada, contributingover $250 million to the U.S. economy at the retail level. Poinsettia (Euphorbia pulcherrima) is the traditional flower associated with Christmas and the top-selling flowering potted plant in the United States. The . Many Americans only see poinsettia plants when they are wrapped in tinsel on the holiday table. During this time of the year, poinsettias are all around! All available evidence suggests that the poinsettia was first sent to the Bartram Garden in Philadelphia in the fall of 1828. If you make it out to the Smithsonian Gardens for Christmas this year, make sure to look at all of the beautiful poinsettias! Each year millions of live potted plants are cultivated and shipped across much of the world for a six-week Christmas season, only to be thrown away in January. For us to begin, we have to go all the way back to 14th-century Mexico. If in doubt, it's better to keep poinsettias a little . Wild poinsettias occur from Mexico to southern Guatemala, growing on mid-elevation, Pacific-facing slopes. [8] Carr described it as "a new Euphorbia with bright scarlet bracts or floral leaves, presented to the Bartram Collection by Mr. Poinsett, United States Minister of Mexico. (215) 729-5281 She was poor, and had no gift to give him. [30], Poinsettias are popular Christmas decorations[31] in homes, churches, offices, and elsewhere across North America, as a result of an extensive marketing campaign by the Ecke family that began by shipping free poinsettias to television stations for use on-air. In the early 1830s Robert Buist began sending plants or cuttings of poinsettia to Europe, and particularly to his friend James McNab at the Edinburgh Botanic Garden. 12. Aside from the Christmas tree itself, no plant symbolizes Christmas quite like the poinsettia. They write new content and verify and edit content received from contributors. Mini poinsettias in a 6cm pot only need half a shot glass of water. 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 Mark 11:25 #poinsettiafacts. [11][12] The colors of the bracts are created through photoperiodism, meaning that they require darkness (at least fourteen hours at a time for 68 weeks in a row) to change color. In Spain, Puerto Rico, and Central America, it is known as the Easter Flower. The site navigation utilizes arrow, enter, escape, and space bar key commands. The plant on display, apparently the original sent from Mexico, was still colorful in early June. 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. See whatsblooming, find a favoritetree, and stroll thegardensand natural lands. In nature, the lengthening nights of late September and October trigger poinsettias to flower, Trinklein said. Many plants in the Euphorbiaceae family ooze a milky white sap which can cause skin irritations for people who are allergic to latex. They make a lovely and festive houseplant. Everyone watching was convinced they had seen a miracle. According to Mexican lore, there was a young child,Pepita, who did not have a gift for the baby Jesus at a Christmas Eve service. Poinsettias are native to Mexico and Central America where they grow into 10-foot-tall shrubs. Theyre featured on Christmas cards, painted on ornaments, displayed on dinner tables, and found adorning front porches along with other festive decorations. This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive a small commission from the sale, but the price is the same for you. The real tragedy of this limited history is that we have adopted the name, poinsettia, that was conferred on the plant by the so-called American statesman who was asked by the Mexican government to leave the country. And in the same region there were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. poinsettia mosaic virus - poinsettia mosaic virus (pnmv) is a. The ancient Aztecs called them cuetlaxochitl. 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. Bring the Garden home! Poinsettias have also been called the lobster flower and the flame-leaf flower, due to the red color. Poinsettias are often used during this day. Poinsettia was one of my mother's favorite plants.La flor de Pascua era una de las plantas preferidas de mi madre. Did you enjoy learning those facts about poinsettias? Updated. Celebrate Santas List Day Find Out Who Is On The Nice List This Year. [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. Aztec people loved poinsettia plants because they produced a bright red dye. He first served as a special envoy to Mexico in 1822-1823, and when the new Mexican Republic was recognized in 1824, Poinsett was first U. S. Minister Plenipotentiary. COLUMBIA, Mo. [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. There are over 100 different varieties of poinsettias that come in many colors. Lets partner! It's a perennial shrub that was once considered a weed and will grow 10 to 15 feet tall in the wild. 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. He studied anthropology, historical archaeology, and American Civilization at the University of Pennsylvania, and has written extensively on the history of Bartrams Garden and the Bartram family plant collections. 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". The legend says that there once was a little girl from Mexico named Pepita who wanted to see the baby Jesus on Christmas Eve. Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for Plaid Bucilla Counted Cross Stitch Poinsettia & Berries Stocking Cuff Kit 2002 at the best online prices at eBay! Visions of Grandeur. Flor . After its introduction in Philadelphia, the poinsettia was shipped around the country during the 1800s, usually as an outdoor plant for warm climates. It was also a flower used by Catholics as proof that Indians should be forcibly converted (which is part of a legend). Cuetlaxochitl: the origin of the Poinsettia. Stroll the Schuylkill River Trailor join us for biking! It was almost certainly seen by early European explorers and colonists, but somehow never entered cultivation in Europe. (F) [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. Every year, just after Thanksgiving, it emerges en masse at nurseries, big-box retailers, fundraisers, and holiday parties. They were cultivated by the Aztecs for use in traditional medicine. These plants were highly prized by Kings Netzahualcyotl & Montezuma, but because of climatic restrictions could not be grown in their capital, which is now Mexico City. As a major scientific scholar in 19th-century America, the botanist and statesman was the first to argue the Smithsonian should be a national museum . 80% of the poinsettias sold in the United States come from Ecke Ranch in Encinitas, California. This list is in large part made up of fruits and vegetables offered in the markets in Mexico, but some trees, shrubs, and herbaceous plants from the wild were included, notably several forms of cactus. Exposure to the plant, even consumption, most often results in no effect,[5] though it can cause nausea, vomiting, or diarrhea.[4]. How can you ignore the fact that it is rooted in Aztec history, specifically? In addition, it's bordered by the Caribbean Sea, Pacific Ocean, and numerous bays, gulfs and inlets. (Grahams new genus Poinsettia has since been returned to Euphorbia. This is the most likely route for plants of the poinsettia to Bartrams Garden. In his teens, he was sent to an academy in Connecticut administered by Timothy Dwight, a noted educator. In their native environment, poinsettias grow like a shrub and can reach heights of up to 15ft tall. Ecke, who lived inCalifornia, discovereda technique which caused seedlings to branch, resulting in a fuller plant. As part of his mission to expand cooperation between the two countries, Poinsett shipped plants and seeds between Mexico and the United States. I know often this happens in "short histories". In Chile and Peru, it is known as the Crown of the Andes. (Although there is still some debate whether some North American Euphorbia species should be split off into a new genus Poinsettia. JavaScript seems to be disabled in your browser. Would you like a reminder of these poinsettia facts? Poinsettia is a short-day plant, meaning it needs long periods of uninterrupted darkness each day in order to bloom. [28] From the 17th century, Franciscan friars in Mexico included the plants in their Christmas celebrations. 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. 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. This poinsettia is so much more than a wintertime decoration, this plant has a long history, a special religious meaning, and has become a symbol of the Christmas holiday. Use Esc key to go back to input search field. What is the poinsettia called in Central America? 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. The Aztecs used the poinsettia bracts to make a reddish-purple dye for fabrics and used the sap medicinally to control fevers. The poinsettia is known throughout the world, though not always as a Christmas flower. 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. Left and right arrows move across top level links and expand / close menus in sub levels. In 1828 when he saw the beautiful red plant growing in Mexico, he began shipping some back to his home in South Carolina where he could grow and study them in his greenhouse. In mid-May, do the following: Cut the stems back to about four inches and repot your poinsettia into a slightly larger container filled with new potting soil. C. Carl Linnaeus. In Spain, Puerto Rico, and other Central America countries it's known as Flor de Pascua or Pascua, meaning Christmas Flower. When it flowered again in 1836 it was drawn for Curtiss Botanical Magazine. What is a poinsettia called in South America? D. Theophrastus. Creating this institution was a big task and there wasnt a clear idea how it would work. To get off to a good start, protect your new plant from cold temperatures and chilling winds on the way home from the store. It blooms in the depths of winter in the mountains of Central Europe. . They also used the poinsettias' milky white sap wax to create a medicine to treat fevers. Poinsettia fire - the poinsettia fire was the second most destructive of the may 2022 san diego county wildfires. [35] In Puerto Rico, where poinsettias are grown extensively in greenhouses, the industry is valued at $5 million annually. The Poinsettias native to southern Mexico & Mesoamerica, unlike todays commercial cultivars, grow into straight & tall trees. The plant had a long history of medicinal use. Vavilov recognized _____ centers of origin of cultivated plants. Poinsettia is a short-day plant, meaning it needs long periods of uninterrupted darkness each day in order to bloom. Check out our post on National Poinsettia Day, including fun and festive ways to celebrate the day! Poinsettias were cultivated by the Aztecs of Mexico long before the introduction of Christianity to the Western Hemisphere. by. Most wild populations are on Pacific-facing slopes in steep canyons. The presence of the true flower indicates the plant is still relatively young, he said. Check out our Christmas quotes video on YouTube. and it doesnt say anywhere that poinsetas are dangerious to animals, In reply to poinsetas by robert phillips (not verified). Its natural habitat is thus highly fragmented, particularly near metropolitan areas such as Taxco. Since graduating from The University of North Carolina at Greensboro, Jess has been living and working in Los Angeles, CA. Overwatering is a common cause of death, so water only when the soil is dry and don't let the plant sit in water. Natives call this special flower the Christmas Star . 2022 Carol G Speake. Find out more about Jess here. When Poinsett began to grow his namesake plant in Charleston after his return, it probably returned to him via the Philadelphia nursery community.. Poinsettias, known as Euphorbia Pulcherrima, come in hundreds of beautiful colors. ), In the summer of 1833, the botanist Constantine Rafinesque published the first scientific description of the poinsettia in Philadelphia, for his Atlantic Journal. The Aztecs used the poinsettia bracts to make a reddish-purple dye for fabrics and used the sap medicinally to control fevers. Joel T. Fry has served as curator for Bartrams Garden, the home of John and William Bartram in Philadelphia, PA, since 1992.
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