Table of Contents
Where Are poinsettias from originally?
Central America
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. They also used the poinsettias’ milky white sap wax to create a medicine to treat fevers.
Where Are poinsettias originally from and what is their meaning?
Native to the tropical forests of Mexico and Central America, poinsettias are the ornamental plants of the Euphorbiaceae family. Botanically, they’re called Euphorbia pulcherrima that means the most beautiful Euphorbia. In their homeland, they’re known as the painted leaf, or the Mexican flame flower.
How did the poinsettia become the Christmas flower?
The reason we associate poinsettias with the holidays comes from an old Mexican legend. A young girl named Pepita was sad that she didn’t have a gift to leave for the baby Jesus at Christmas Eve services. From that day on, they became known as “Flores de Noche Buena,” or “Flowers of the Holy Night.”
Who started the American tradition of poinsettia at Christmas?
Joel Roberts Poinsett was a man of many talents. He was not only the first person to introduce the poinsettia to the United States, but he was the first U.S. Ambassador to Mexico, and was also a skilled and passionate botanist who co-founded the institution that we now call the Smithsonian Institute.
What does a white poinsettia mean?
purity
What Do White Poinsettias Mean? White poinsettias were once considered to be symbols of purity by the Aztecs, but now it’s now the flower for December birthdays. The poinsettia is also said to be a symbol of good cheer, success, and bring with them wishes of happiness and celebrations.
What does poinsettia have to do with Christmas?
From that day on, the bright red flowers were known as the ‘Flores de Noche Buena’, or ‘Flowers of the Holy Night’. The shape of the poinsettia flower and leaves are sometimes thought as a symbol of the Star of Bethlehem which led the Wise Men to Jesus. The red colored leaves symbolize the blood of Christ.
How do you get a poinsettia to turn red again?
How To Get a Poinsettia To Turn Red
- Help your poinsettia to turn red by placing it in total darkness for 14 hours each day, starting eight weeks before you want to display it.
- During the day, the plant needs bright light, but it should be placed in complete darkness every evening.
Do poinsettias come back every year?
Poinsettias can be kept year after year, and they will bloom each year if you give them proper care. When the leaves begin to yellow or when the plant is no longer desired as an ornamental, gradually withhold water. After all the leaves have fallen, store the plant, in its pot, in a cool (50 to 60°F), dry, dark area.
Where did the poinsettia plant originally come from?
Where Are Poinsettias Originally From? Poinsettias are originally from Central America, and the plant was known to thrive in southern Mexico, where it was called Taxco del Alarcon. The Aztecs found this plant blooming in winter, and they named it cuetlaxochitl.
Why did the peasant girl pick the Poinsettia?
Mexican folktale tells a different story, however. According to legend, a young peasant girl picked poinsettia greens as a Christmas Eve gift for the baby Jesus. As she lay the stems near the manger at the local church’s nativity scene, they burst forth with red blossoms.
Why was the poinsettia called the Crown of the Andes?
Native Mexicans deemed the poinsettia’s brilliant color a symbol of purity. Which is odd, considering they used poinsettia latex as a hair removal cream. Further south in Peru and Chile, the poinsettia was nicknamed the “Crown of the Andes.” Many traditions and legends adorn the poinsettia plant history.
What did the Aztecs use the Poinsettia for?
We have to delve into the sordid history of the poinsettia plant to find the answer. Long before Christianity reached the western hemisphere, the Aztecs cultivated poinsettia plants for a variety of medicinal purposes. These ten-foot-tall woody shrubs were hardly the dainty centerpieces which garnish our modern holiday tables.