The poinsettia (Euphorbia pulcherrima) is an iconic holiday decoration recognized globally for its striking combination of bright red and deep green foliage. The colorful parts of the plant are frequently mistaken for flower petals, but they are actually modified leaves called bracts. Its widespread adoption as a seasonal staple has made it the top-selling potted plant in the United States every year.
The Native Home of the Poinsettia
The poinsettia is indigenous to Mexico and parts of Central America. Wild populations thrive in deciduous tropical forests, particularly along the Pacific coast of Mexico, stretching from Sinaloa down to Chiapas and Guatemala. A significant concentration of its ancestry originates in the Mexican state of Guerrero, near Taxco del Alarcón.
The plant has a deep history with the indigenous cultures of its native land. In the Nahuatl language, spoken by the Aztecs, the plant was known as cuetlaxochitl, meaning “brilliant flower.” Today in Mexico and Guatemala, it is commonly referred to as Flor de Nochebuena, or Christmas Eve Flower.
The Diplomat Who Introduced the Plant
The poinsettia owes its common English name to Joel Roberts Poinsett, an American politician and botanist. Poinsett served as the first United States Minister to Mexico from 1825 to 1829. During his diplomatic tenure, he encountered the striking red-leaved shrub growing in the tropical highlands.
In 1828, while visiting the Taxco region, Poinsett gathered cuttings of the plant’s winter bloom. He shipped these specimens to his greenhouses in Greenville, South Carolina, for cultivation. He also shared the plant with American botanists and horticulturalists to promote its spread.
The plant was first formally exhibited in the United States at the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society’s 1829 Philadelphia Flower Show. The display presented the specimen as “a new Euphorbia” introduced by Poinsett. Its distinct appearance and natural winter bloom led the horticultural community to name the plant in his honor.
Characteristics of the Poinsettia in the Wild
In its native environment, the poinsettia exists as a perennial shrub or small, woody tree, vastly different from the compact potted variety seen in stores. Wild specimens commonly reach heights of 10 to 15 feet. The wild plant exhibits a more leggy, sparse branching habit with smaller, less densely packed bracts than its cultivated counterpart.
The true flowers are the small, yellow structures located at the center of the colorful bracts. These modified leaves turn vibrant shades of red, pink, or white in response to the short days of winter, a process known as photoperiodism. Historically, the Aztecs utilized the plant, extracting a reddish-purple dye from the bracts for textiles and using the milky white sap for medicinal preparations.
Establishing the Modern Holiday Tradition
The plant’s association with Christmas was cemented through the efforts of the Ecke family, commercial growers in California starting in the early 1900s. They recognized the plant’s potential as a holiday staple and began actively marketing it as “The Christmas Flower.”
The family secured commercial dominance by developing a grafting technique that forced the naturally sparse plant to branch heavily. This method produced the full, compact potted poinsettias that consumers expect today. Paul Ecke Jr. advanced the plant’s profile through aggressive marketing, including sending free plants to television stations for holiday broadcasts.
The Ecke Ranch’s innovation transformed the poinsettia from a regional curiosity into the biggest-selling potted plant in the United States. This success led to the formal recognition of December 12th as National Poinsettia Day, marking the anniversary of Joel Roberts Poinsett’s death. Commercial breeding programs continue to develop new cultivars, offering the multitude of colors and forms that define the modern holiday season.