Amid fir trees, holly and ivy, a more exotic plant has established itself among the Christmas flora: the poinsettia.
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Given as a symbol of good will and communal spirit – particularly to hosts of Christmas parties – the plant possesses excellent festive credentials, having both red and green foliage. For some, it has come to represent the life of Christ – from the pointed bracts representing the Star of Bethlehem at his birth to the red leaves being Jesus' blood, shed at his death.
How did the poinsettia become associated with Christmas?
The association with Christmas apparently comes from Mexico and Central America, where the plant is native to dry tropical forests. According to legend, a poor young girl named Pepita was distraught at having nothing to offer baby Jesus on Christmas Eve. An angel took pity on the weeping girl and pointed her towards some weeds. Pepita gathered an armful and presented them at the local church where they were miraculously transformed into a colourful bouquet of poinsettias.
The poinsettia takes its name from American diplomat and botanist Joel Roberts Poinsett (1779–1851). Widely travelled, Poinsett led an adventurous life and in 1825 was ambassador to Mexico. Here he was able to indulge his botanist urges and 'discovered' the plants, though they had been held in high esteem by indigenous peoples as far back as the Mayans and Aztecs.
He sent specimens to his home in South Carolina and to various other horticultural friends and soon the 'poinsettia', as it was known by the 1830s, was widely propagated and celebrated at flower shows. Today, it is grown commercially in vast numbers, particularly in the state of Texas. Taxonomists placed the plant in the genus Euphorbia, which also includes wood spurge that is native to the British countryside.
