The young gardener, Robert Buist, returned to Europe in and found the scarlet flower was unknown. Buist was a great popularizer of the new plant, but has undeservedly received major credit for its introduction. When Poinsett began to grow his namesake plant in Charleston after his return, it probably returned to him via the Philadelphia nursery community. Poinsettias were cultivated by the Aztecs of Mexico long before the introduction of Christianity to the Western Hemisphere.
Perhaps the 1st religious connotations were placed on poinsettias during the 17C. The poinsettia may have remained a regional plant for many years to come had it not been for the efforts of Joel Roberts Poinsett — Poinsett had attended medical school himself, but was a dedicated, almost obsessive botany-lover.
A German botanist, Wilenow, named it Euphorbia pulcherrima most beautiful in , the correct scientific name to this day. The common name we use today was believed to have been coined around 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.
Often these trees can reach heights up to 10 feet tall. Around in southern California , a horticulturist named Paul Ecke became the next key person to promote the poinsettia. He felt this shrub growing wild along roadsides would make a perfect Christmas flower, so set about producing these in fields in what is now Hollywood.
Through the marketing efforts of Paul Ecke and his sons, the poinsettia has become symbolic with Christmas in the United States. Joel T. Click here to cancel reply. Now that we're in the midst of the holiday season you see poinsettia Euphorbia pulcherrima plants in many homes and businesses. But how much do you know about the history of the poinsettia? And have you wondered why it's associated with the holidays? The plant was named after Joel Roberts Poinsett — , who was a doctor, amateur botanist, former member of Congress, and who served in a variety of government positions.
While he was the first American Ambassador to Mexico, he first encountered the red-leaved plants and was taken by its beauty. So he sent plants home to his greenhouse and began propagating the plant in smaller sizes it can grow naturally in Central America to small tree size and sending it to botanic gardens.
Since Mr. There are a few explanations as to how it became associated with Christmas. The first is in Mexico the plant leaves only turn red naturally around Christmas.
Another explanation is that the shape of the plant leaves is believed to symbolize the Star of Bethlehem and the red leaves the blood of Christ. The third explanation concerns an old Mexican legend. According to the legend, a poor Mexican girl didn't have a present to give to the Baby Jesus during Christmas Eve services.
As she walked to the chapel with her cousin, her cousin told her that any gift given by someone who loves him will make him happy. She still had nothing to give him. So along the road, she gathered a small bouquet of weeds to give him. They were first sold as cut flowers. It was only in the early s that they were sold as whole plants for landscaping and pot plants.
The Ecke family from Southern California were one of, if not, the first to sell them as whole plants and they're still the main producer of the plants in the USA. It is thought that they became known as Poinsettia in the mid s when people found out who had first brought them to America from Mexico.
There is an old Mexican legend about how Poinsettias and Christmas come together, it goes like this:. There was once a poor Mexican girl called Pepita who had no present to give the the baby Jesus at the Christmas Eve Services. As Pepita walked to the chapel, sadly, her cousin Pedro tried to cheer her up. Pepita didn't know what she could give, so she picked a small handful of weeds from the roadside and made them into a a small bouquet. She felt embarrassed because she could only give this small present to Jesus.
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