Photo by Judith Canty Graves
“Poinsettias symbolize purity, joy, and the spirit of giving. Their vibrant red color captures the essence of the holiday season.” — Lula’s Garden
By Judith Canty Graves
Every fall, festive catalogs arrive in my mailbox signaling the start of the upcoming holiday season. Usually these catalogs arrive early in October with colorful pictures of wreaths, evergreen swags, candles, amaryllis blooms and especially bright red poinsettias.
It all seems too early for me, but I realize many stores and garden centers have to prepare well in advance for this time of year. One summer, I was shopping at a garden center and I came upon a huge greenhouse full of small poinsettia plants. Since poinsettias need 12-14 hours of darkness each day to produce flowers, it isn’t until the longer nights of October that their blooming cycle can begin. Preparation must start early for the month of December.
The poinsettias we most associate with the holidays display characteristically colorful leaves called bracts. The small nub in the center of the bracts is the actual flower, or cyathia. The vibrant red bracts against the dark green leaves have a universal appeal because they provide a colorful antidote to the dark days of winter. This is probably why poinsettias take center stage in the marketing effort to remind us of the holiday shopping season.
But red is only one color out of dozens available. There are more than 100 different cultivars of poinsettias in white, pink, cream, peach, as well as marbled poinsettias with different color combinations. This plant, whose scientific name is Euphorbia pulcherrima, Latin for “most beautiful,” is treasured all over the world.
Originally native to Central America, the poinsettia grows wild in tropical climates. Many years ago, when I worked in Hong Kong, I was surprised to see large woody shrubs with brilliant red bracts growing outside in the warm climate. I had always seen poinsettias as potted plants in stores, so it was exciting to see these ten-foot-high shrubs covered with bright red bracts.
The poinsettia is named after Joel Roberts Poinsett, who was the first ambassador to Mexico from the US as well as an avid botanist. After seeing poinsettias in Mexico, he learned to propagate them in greenhouses at his home in South Carolina. He sent a plant to a botanist in Philadelphia, who introduced it to this country at a flower show in 1829, and named the plant after Poinsett. Since then, the poinsettia has become the best-selling Christmas plant in the world. In 2002, Congress declared December 12 to be National Poinsettia Day, to honor Poinsett and to commemorate the day that he died.
Many cultures around the world associate poinsettias as a symbol of holiday cheer and goodwill. In the 17th century, missionaries in Mexico used poinsettias to decorate churches for Christmas Eve. They called the poinsettia “Flower of the Holy Night,” and Mexican legends relate how the shape of the colorful leaves symbolize the Star of Bethlehem. When you see poinsettias displayed everywhere, you will know that the holiday season has officially begun!
Judith Canty Graves is an award-winning columnist with a home garden in Asheville. Follow @TheObservantGardener on Instagram to see new garden photos daily.
