Poinsettia Flower Origin
The plant we know today as the poinsettia has a long and interestin g historywoven in a combination of legend politics and a beloved embassador.
Poinsettia Flower Origin. The plant is named for the first US. There are different places where you will find the poinsettia flower. Joel Roberts Poinsett who introduced America to the poinsettia in 1828 after discovering it in the wilderness in southern Mexico.
The plant grew through a crack in his greenhouse. In Spain the poinsettia is a traditional Easter flower. The poinsettia is a commercially important plant species of the diverse spurge family.
First there are many of these flowers that are native to Mexico and they are going to grow in the tropical forests in the area. They are also found in Central America. Great Moments in Poinsettia History Poinsettias are native to Mexico.
The Poinsettia name became the accepted name in English speaking countries as it was Poinsett who first saw and brought the plant to our country and then cultivated it into smaller sizes it grows as a tree in Mexico. In 1825 the poinsettia is also known as Mexican Flame Leaf Winter Rose Noche Buena and in Turkey Atakurks Flower because it was the favorite flower of Atakurk the founder of modern Turkey. Indigenous to Mexico and Central America the poinsettia was first described by Europeans in 1834.
The plant was named after him sometime in the nineteenth century in honor of his missionary work. Otherwise you will find other species that grow in Nicaragua Costa Rica and other tropical areas. Botanically theyre called Euphorbia pulcherrima that means the most beautiful Euphorbia.
It was first introduced to the United States by Joel Poinsett. It was said that its milky white sap called latex could be used to reduce fever symptoms. It is particularly well known for its red and green foliage and is widely used in Christmas floral displays.
The origin of the Poinsettia For us to begin we have to go all the way back to the 14 th century Mexico. Native to Central America the plant flourished in an area of Southern Mexico known as Taxco del Alarcon. As you can see a plants history has a large impact on its symbolism.
Ambassador to Mexico Dr. In the 17th century Juan Balme a botanist noted the poinsettia plant in his writings. The plant was known as noche buena and was used in various ways from cooking to medicine to celebrations.
Dazzled by its color he gave it the botanical name Euphorbia pulcherrima meaning very beautiful. The poinsettia made it way to the United States in the early 1800s through the efforts of the first US. The story behind poinsettias is rich in history and lore.
They said that the poinsettia easily symbolized purity holiness and wisdom or intelligence. Poinsettias are shrubs or small. The child was told that a humble gift if given in love would be acceptable in Gods eyes.
They are found in the wild in deciduous tropical forest at moderate elevations from southern Sinaloa down the entire Pacific coast of Mexico to Chiapas and Guatemala. It derives its common English name from Joel Roberts Poinsett the first United States Minister to Mexico who is credited with introducing the plant to the US in the 1820s. The poinsettia also known as cuetlaxochitl in Nahuatl has long been a part of Aztec and Mexican cultures.
The Aztec Indians had special symbolism for the poinsettia. The Aztecs used the plant decorative purposes but also put the plant to practical use. The Poinsettia flower was discovered in Mexico and originally known as the Mexican Flame Flower.
They too thought that it looked much like a star and named it what translates to star flower. December 12 th is National Poinsettia Day US which marks the death of Joel Roberts Poinsett in 1851. The biggest celebration was the celebration of Huitzilopochtli the god of war the sun and human sacrifice.
Poinsettias were cultivated by the Mayans and Aztecs who valued the red bracts as a colorful reddish-purple fabric dye and the sap for its many medicinal qualities. Ambassador to Mexico Joel Roberts Poinsett. Named after Joel Roberts Poinsett first United States ambassador to Mexico and the amateur botanist who introduced the plant to the US.
Poinsettias are native to Mexico and Guatemala. It is believed it began as nothing other than a child who could not afford a gift to offer to Christ on Christmas Eve picked some weeds from the side of a road. The botanical name Euphorbia pulcherrima was assigned to the poinsettia by the German botanist Wilenow.
The plant in the ancient language of the Aztecs known as Nahuatl is known as Cuetlaxochitl which means flower that grows in residues or soil In Mexico the poinsettia is prized as the Christmas Eve flower while in Peru and Chile it is known as the Crown of the Andes. Also known as the Christmas flower the poinsettias origin is legendary. The first United States Minister to Mexico Joel Roberts Poinsett introduced the plant into the United States in 1825.
They are also found in the interior of Mexico in the hot seasonally dry forests of Gurerro and Oxaca. He began cultivating poinsettia plants on his plantation. Early Poinsettia Flower History.
Joel Poinsett was an American linguist scientist horticulturist and also a missionary to Mexico. It came to be known in the United States as the Poinsettia in 1836 when the first US Minister to Mexico and botanist Joel Roberts Poinsett began to send the plant home to his green houses in South Carolina. Poinsettias are native to Mexico.
The plant had a long history of medicinal use. No coincidence the flower was named after him Poinsett was an amateur botanist who resided in Greenville South Carolina.
