[img]238|left|||no_popup[/img]
When we see enchanting poinsettia, all of us hear the sleigh bells of Christmas.
But I bet you didn’t know that the poinsettia actually has its own special day to celebrate.
Mark your calendar. Friday is National Poinsettia Day.
Although this lush plant with its blazing red foliage is reason enough to celebrate, the date marks the death of Joel Roberts Poinsett, the amateur horticulturist who is credited with introducing the native Mexican plant to the United States in 1828.
Even though Pointsett had an outstanding career as a United States Congressman and later as an ambassador to Mexico, he will always be
remembered for introducing this distinctive plant specimen to Americans.
A Bloody Reminder
[img]235|left|||no_popup[/img] The Aztecs called the poinsettia Cuetlaxochitl (pronounced as Nahuatl). They made a reddish purple dye from the bracts. To the Aztecs, poinsettias were a reminder of human blood sacrifices. After the missionaries arrived in Mexico, the churches were soon adorned with crimson poinsettias to symbolize the blood of Christ.
Poinsettia were not simply native to Mexico, but found throughout the mountainous and tropical rainforest regions of Central and South America. In Chile and Peru it was "Crown of the Andes."
Part of the succulent family, the poinsettia is frequently called the “Mexican Flame Leaf,” “Christmas Star,” “Winter Rose,” “Noche Buena,” and in Italy as the “Stella di Natale” or Nativity Star. For those of you obsessed with the scientific names of plants, poinsettia are part of the Euphorbiaceae family called the Euphorbia pulcherrima.
The Christmas Connection
Poinsettia’s long association with Christmas began in 16th century Mexico, where legend tells of a young girl who was too poor to provide a gift for the celebration of Jesus' birthday.
According to church lore, the child was inspired by an angel to gather weeds from the roadside and place them in front of the church altar. Crimson "blossoms" then sprouted from the weeds and became magnificent poinsettia.
From the 17th century, Franciscan monks in Mexico included the plants in their Christmas celebrations.
[img]236|left|||no_popup[/img] Until the 1990s, a single family of growers in Encinitas — the coastal section of northern San Diego County — had a virtual monopoly on growing poinsettia. The Ecke family owed their poinsettia supremacy to a technological secret that made it difficult for others to compete.
Paul Ecke, the family patriarch, determined that the key to producing more desirable poinsettia was to create a fuller, more compact plant. Left to grow on its own, the poinsettia will naturally take an open, somewhat weedy look. Ecke’s technique entailed grafting two varieties of poinsettia together. This made it possible to get every seedling to branch, resulting in a bushier plant.
Now Everybody Knows the Secret
Unfortunately for the Eckes, a university researcher published their special growing technique, and now it is widely practiced the world over. While this amounted to a stunning monetary loss for the Ecke family, it was a true gift to those of us who can’t get enough of this exquisite succulent during the holidays.
[img]237|left|||no_popup[/img] There is a common misconception that poinsettia are toxic. This urban legend has its origins in the early part of the last century, where a two-year -old child supposedly died after consuming its leaves. Its toxicity was never proven. However, the leaves of the poinsettia may trigger an adverse reaction in people with latex allergies. It is also advisable to keep it away from your family pets.
Our nursery features a broad selection of the Winter Rose in a variety shapes and sizes. Poinsettia can be found in a variety of hues, from hot pink and canary yellow to pearl white, and a variegated leaf that displays swirling shocks of red and yellow. And, of course, for the purists, our greenhouse is filled with a billowing sea of blood red blooms.
It’s worth the trip just to see them.
Don’t forget, on Friday celebrate the poinsettia; and for the holidays, fill your homes, festive tables and offices with this glorious winter miracle.
Carlos Saez is the owner of The Jungle Nursery, a leading designer garden center specializing in unique sculptural plants, tropicals, succulents, bamboo and a wide selection of indoor foliage including orchids. The Jungle, 1900 Sawtelle Blvd., West Los Angeles. 310. 235.2875.
Mr. Saez’ gardening column appears on Wednesdays.
