The tradition of having poinsettias in the home during Christmas has rich cultural and historical roots that trace back to 16th-century Mexico. Here’s a potted history (excuse the pun!)
The poinsettia (official name, Euphorbia pulcherrima) has its origins in Mexico. This vibrant red plant was highly valued by the Aztecs, who called it Cuetlaxochitl. They used its red leaves to make dye and its milky sap for medicinal purposes. The plant also had spiritual significance, symbolising purity.
The association of poinsettias with Christmas stems from a Mexican legend about a poor girl named Pepita. Pepita wanted to give a gift to baby Jesus at her church’s Nativity scene but having no money, she instead picked some weeds from the roadside. When she placed them at the altar, the weeds miraculously bloomed into vibrant red poinsettias. This led to the plant being called Flores de Noche Buena (“Flowers of the Holy Night”) in Spanish.
In 1828, Joel Roberts Poinsett, the first U.S. ambassador to Mexico and a keen botanist, brought the plant to the United States. It was later named “poinsettia” in his honour. It was the Ecke family in California who began cultivating poinsettias commercially, developing hybrids with more vivid colours and longer-lasting blooms. Their marketing efforts popularised the plant as a Christmas decoration.
Today, the poinsettia’s red and green colours align with traditional Christmas hues, and its star-shaped bracts are thought to symbolise the Star of Bethlehem. They have become a global symbol of Christmas and used to adorn UK homes, churches, and public spaces during the holiday season.
If you follow us on social media, you’ll already know that wet weather has hampered many poinsettia suppliers, so we felt lucky when ours were delivered this week! They were grown in the New Forest, which we love, as we’ll always try and source local or UK suppliers whenever we can.
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