Poinsettia And Christmas
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| A worker sorts poinsettias in a greenhouse in Germany. |
What does the
poinsettia have to do with Christmas?
You can find a poinsettia's
scarlet, star-shaped leaves everywhere you turn during the holidays.
Poinsettias are one of the
most popular Christmas decorations around, with more than $200 million in sales
every holiday season [source: University of Illinois].
But how did this plant from
the Mexican countryside become a botanical staple in our season of giving? Who
brought it to America?
And is there any truth to the
belief that munching on one of its leaves could be fatal?
Poinsettias (Euphorbia
Pulcherrima) have a rich cultural history.
The tropical shrubs, which
have about 100 different species and reach heights of up to 12 feet tall in
their natural habitat, were known as "Cuetlaxochitl" to the Aztecs
and used to dye clothing and cure fevers [source: Perry].
Poinsettias were also used in
Aztec religious ceremonies since the Aztecs considered the color red a symbol
of purity.
Many mistake the poinsettia's
leaves as flower petals, but the flowers are actually the smaller, yellow buds
in a poinsettia's center.
These bracts --
the upper portion of the leaves -- are famously red, although they actually
bloom in a variety of hues, such as pink, white and yellow.
Poinsettias, also known as
the "lobster flower" or "Mexican flame leaf," bloom in
December, making them an ideal holiday flower.
History of the Poinsettia
Poinsettias grow in warm, tropical climates.
Poinsettias
didn't arrive in the United States until the 19th century.
The plant is named for the
first U.S. Ambassador to Mexico, Dr. Joel Roberts Poinsett, who introduced
America to the poinsettia in 1828, after discovering it in the wilderness in
southern Mexico.
Dr. Poinsett, who dabbled in
botany when he wasn't politicking between nations, sent cuttings of the plant
back to his South Carolina home.
While it wasn't initially
embraced, it caught on over the years, and by the 20th century it was a holiday
mainstay.
In fact, National Poinsettia
Day is celebrated on Dec. 12, honoring both the plant and the man who brought
it to America [source: University of Illinois].
So what does a poinsettia
have to do with Christmas?
One interpretation of the
plant is as a symbol of the Star of Bethlehem, the heavenly body that led the
three magi, or wise men, to the place where Christ was born.
A Mexican legend tells of a
girl who could only offer weeds as a gift to Jesus on Christmas Eve.
When she brought the weeds
into a church, they blossomed into the beautiful red plants we know as
poinsettias, known as Flores de Noche Buena in Mexico (Spanish for
"flowers of the holy night").
A common myth that has
existed for generations is that a poinsettia's leaves are poisonous.
Although it's probably not a
good idea to have a competitive-eating contest with poinsettia bracts
since they could cause diarrhea, research has shown that a child could consume
as many as 500 poinsettia bracts without any toxic effects [source: Perry].
A tot who accidentally
nibbles on a leaf may not feel well, but the consequences won't be fatal.
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