His son, Paul Ecke, developed the grafting technique, but it was the third generation of Eckes, Paul Ecke Jr., who was responsible for advancing the association between the plant and Christmas. Here you'll find recipes and craft projects to make your holidays even more special. The Aztecs had many uses for them including using the flowers (actually special types of bright leaves known as bracts rather than flowers) to make a purple dye for clothes & cosmetics The milky white sap, latex, was made into a medicine to treat fevers. When it flowered again in 1836 it was drawn for Curtiss Botanical Magazine. Cultivated and valued in Central America long before the arrival of Europeans, Euphorbia pulcherrima (meaning very beautiful Euphorbia) is known more commonly as Poinsettia. Poinsettia plants are native to Central America regions, from southern Guatemala to Mexico. In his teens, he was sent to an academy in Connecticut administered by Timothy Dwight, a noted educator. Check out our post on National Poinsettia Day, including fun and festive ways to celebrate the day! The ancient Aztecs called them 'cuetlaxochitl'. If that's your experience, it's time you learned about growing poinsettia plants outside. Photo by Scott Bauer, USDA Agricultural Research Service. Intolerant of the cold, in the North, it is grown almost exclusively indoors. As a major scientific scholar in 19th-century America, the botanist and statesman was the first to argue the Smithsonian should be a national museum . Go back and get it! Growingfood sovereigntywith an African Diaspora focus. [32], Poinsettias are susceptible to several diseases, mostly fungal, but also bacterial and parasitic. [6] Klotzsch credited Carl Ludwig Willdenow with the species name "pulcherrima", and the authority is given as Willd. In the ancient Nahuatl language it is called cuetlaxochitl xochitl meaning ornamental flower. [38] The discovery of the role phytoplasmas play in the growth of axillary buds is credited to Ing-Ming Lee of the USDA Agricultural Research Service. Find our latestdataon the rivers bacteria levels and recent rainfall. Populations can be up to several hundred individuals, but this is not typical. The birth flowers of December are Narcissus and Poinsettias. In addition to being an avid botanist, Joel Roberts Poinsett was very passionate about science. Ecke, who lived inCalifornia, discovereda technique which caused seedlings to branch, resulting in a fuller plant. When shopping for a poinsettia, look for leaves and bracts that do not show any wilting, which could indicate root problems, Trinklein said. At the time of sale, the plants growth period is over, so its need for nutrients is minimal. The Countries That Make Up Central America. JavaScript seems to be disabled in your browser. Though often stated to be highly toxic, the poinsettia is not dangerous[4] to pets or children. As you can see from the poinsettia story, poinsettias have long held religious significance. December 12 has been officially designated by the U.S. Congress as National Poinsettia Day in honor of the first Ambassador to the new Republic of Mexico, Joel Poinsett, as well as of American businessman, Paul Ecke Jr., who later successfully marketed the poinsettia worldwide. b. la flor de Nochebuena. See more advice on how totake care of poinsettias and otherChristmas plants. The poinsettia is known throughout the world, though not always as a Christmas flower. Pick up the pot. Enjoy upcomingworkshops, self-care, and events. A man passionate about science, Poinsett insisted that scientists be included in these global travels. The shape of the plant looks like a star. While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. [14], The tropical dry forests where wild poinsettias grow experience largely unregulated deforestation, resulting in habitat loss. What appear to be petals are actually coloured leaflike bracts that surround a central cluster of tiny yellow flowers. She felt sad, but her cousin, Pedro told her that the baby Jesus would appreciate any present given with love. It has been hypothesized that the inaccessibility of the canyons may protect the wild populations from human disturbance. A German botanist, Wilenow, named it Euphorbia pulcherrima (most beautiful) in 1833, the correct scientific name to this day. The presence of the true flower indicates the plant is still relatively young, he said. 12. Call Santas phone number, or write a letter to Santas address at the North Pole! When did poinsettias originate? Often these trees can reach heights up to 10 feet tall. If your poinsettia is wrapped in decorative foil, make sure there is a drain hole in the foil. He studied anthropology, historical archaeology, and American Civilization at the University of Pennsylvania, and has written extensively on the history of Bartrams Garden and the Bartram family plant collections. Look up! Poinsettias were brought from Mexico to the United States through way of South Carolina by Joel Roberts Poinsett. They were cultivated by the Aztecs for use in traditional medicine. In mid-May, do the following: Cut the stems back to about four inches and repot your poinsettia into a slightly larger container filled with new potting soil. . For the best experience on our site, be sure to turn on Javascript in your browser. Did you enjoy learning those facts about poinsettias? So, after Pepitaset the flowers at the crcheof the nativity on Christmas Eve, the angels transformed the weedsinto beautiful red flowers. Theyre featured on Christmas cards, painted on ornaments, displayed on dinner tables, and found adorning front porches along with other festive decorations. 2 (March/April), Funding Agricultural Business Development With Federal and State Grants, Dairy Grazing: Genetics of the Grazing Cow, Interpretation of Laboratory Analysis of Biosolids Samples, Medical Image Data Collection & Management, Agricultural Business and Policy Extension, Exceed - Regional Economic and Entrepreneurial Development, Mid-America Trade Adjustment Assistance Center, Missouri Small Business Development Centers, Missouri Procurement Technical Assistance Centers, Veterinary Extension and Continuing Education, Missouri Council for Activity and Nutrition, https://extension.missouri.edu/media/wysiwyg/Extensiondata/NewsAdmin/Photos/stock/plants/Poinsettia-ARS.jpg, equal opportunity/access/affirmative action/pro-disabled and veteran employer. The plant now known as poinsettia, Euphorbia pulcherrima, is native to the pacific coast of Mexico and has an ancient history of human use. [16][17] Triterpenes are found in aerial part of this plant including latex and leaves. An Act of Congress has even set December 12, the death of Joel Poinsett, as National Poinsettia Day to commemorate a man and his plant. In reply to Lauren, regardless of where by Kathryn (not verified). He began growing the plant in the tens of thousands for the Christmas season, when other flowers were scarce. Mexico outlawed slavery in 1820. Discover the legend of the poinsettia! 1. Lauren, regardless of where a flower was discovered or has possibly been used to divine a purpose dictated from someones heart, has nothing to do with the poinsettia that was created as a thing of beauty. It is commonly known as poinsettia after Joel Roberts Poinsett, who introduced the plant into the United States in 1825. Every year, just after Thanksgiving, it emerges en masse at nurseries, big-box retailers, fundraisers, and holiday parties. The plant had a long history of medicinal use. What appear to be flower petals are actually leaves (called bracts). The new euphorbia was re-named Poinsettia pulcherrima by Robert C. Graham, Regius Professor of Botany at Edinburgh, in an article prepared both for Curtiss and the Edinburgh New Philosophical Journal. National Poinsettia Day on December 12 also forms a cultural bridge between the U.S. and Mexico. 7 C. 8 D. 20 E. 25, 2. Imagine acres of poinsettias in all colors and sizes! Poinsettia (Euphorbia pulcherrima) is the traditional flower associated with Christmas and the top-selling flowering potted plant in the United States. Ecke Ranch is now the largest producers of poinsettias in the world. North America: View of the Milky Way over Echo Lake in Colorado. Many of these poinsettias are grown by Paul Ecke Ranch, which serves half the worldwide market and 70 percent of the US market. Poinsettias arent always red! ), In the summer of 1833, the botanist Constantine Rafinesque published the first scientific description of the poinsettia in Philadelphia, for his Atlantic Journal. Heres a tweet to get you started: On July 22, 2002 Congress agreed that December 12 would become National Poinsettia Day. David Trinklein 573/882-9631. Poinsettia is a short-day plant, meaning it needs long periods of uninterrupted darkness each day in order to bloom. For the best experience on our site, be sure to turn on Javascript in your browser. It has since been spread in our gardens near Philadelphia, and is know in some as the Euphorbia Poinseti; but appears to me to form a peculiar genus or S. G. at least. Thomas Say sent over a hundred varieties of seeds from Mexico, of my own collecting in a letter to Robert Carr dated July 23, 1828. As they were walking, she picked a bunch of weeds growing by the side of the road and fashioned them into a bouquet. The poinsettia is native to Mexico and Central America, where it grows in moist, wet, wooded ravines and on rocky hillsides. Which country gave the US its first poinsettia plant? Free shipping for many products! It is only fair. While poinsettias with red bracts remain the most popular, they also come in creamy white, shades of pink and orange, marbled in pink and white, and with pink flecks on red. Skin exposure to the sap may cause itchiness, redness, or swelling. Looking for more inspiration for the holidays? (botany) a. la flor de Pascua. Vavilov recognized _____ centers of origin of cultivated plants. This process, in response to certain amounts of light or lack thereof, turns the . Populations were once found in rolling hill areas, though many have gone extinct. Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree. The poinsettia, a red-leafed plant that appears everywhere around Christmastime, first came to the United States in the late 1820s. Categories Christmas, Fun Facts, Holidays. Avoid drafts, keeping temperatures between 65 and70F. Wild poinsettia populations are highly fragmented, as their habitat is experiencing largely unregulated deforestation. [10] Prior to poinsettia, it was known as "Mexican flame flower" or "painted leaf". 2022 Carol G Speake. Below are some of our favorite plant themednational days: If you love trivia and want to learn more facts about all kinds of things, make sure you head to our fun facts section. The colored bractswhich are normally flaming red, with cultivars being orange, pale green, cream, pink, white, or marbledare often mistaken for flower petals because of their groupings and colors, but are actually leaves. Wild poinsettias occur from Mexico to southern Guatemala, growing on mid-elevation, Pacific-facing slopes. And the poinsettia, also known as the Christmas plant, became a symbol of Christmastime in the 16th century in its native lands now known as Mexico. It is actually the plant's leaves that provide its color through a process called photoperiodism. In warm climates the poinsettia grows outdoors as a winter-flowering leggy shrub about 3 metres (10 feet) high; as a potted plant in northern areas it rarely grows beyond 1 metre. In Spain, Puerto Rico, and other Central America countries it's known as Flor de Pascua or Pascua, meaning Christmas Flower. But the reason poinsettias became so popular is due to Paul Ecke and his inventiveness. After its introduction in Philadelphia, the poinsettia was shipped around the country during the 1800s, usually as an outdoor plant for warm climates. You might be interested to know that each aspect of the poinsettia flower holds religious symbolism and has a different meaning. This list is in large part made up of fruits and vegetables offered in the markets in Mexico, but some trees, shrubs, and herbaceous plants from the wild were included, notably several forms of cactus. It was re-discovered or at least brought to the attention of the outside world in the 1820s by an American, Joel Roberts Poinsett (1778-1851). The holotype had been collected in Mexico during an 18031804 expedition by Alexander von Humboldt and Aim Bonpland.