The poinsettia, with its striking red and green foliage, is an instantly recognizable symbol of winter celebrations around the world. This vibrant plant, often mistakenly called a flower, is actually a shrub whose brilliant color comes from modified leaves called bracts. The plant’s widespread recognition today is directly tied to a specific historical figure who first introduced it to the United States. This introduction marked the beginning of its transformation from a Mexican shrub into a holiday icon.
The Diplomat and Botanist Joel Roberts Poinsett
The man responsible for bringing the plant to the United States was Joel Roberts Poinsett, a distinguished American statesman and an accomplished amateur botanist. Born in Charleston, South Carolina, Poinsett possessed a deep personal interest in horticulture, which he pursued alongside his political career. He was appointed by President John Quincy Adams as the first United States Minister to Mexico in 1825, a post he held until 1829.
Poinsett’s tenure in Mexico, which was newly independent at the time, was marked by his diplomatic efforts to establish relations between the two countries. Despite the political complexities of his role, his passion for botany led him to explore the Mexican countryside. This provided the opportunity for his famous botanical discovery, which occurred during a diplomatic excursion.
The Poinsettia’s Journey From Mexico to the United States
The plant that would eventually bear his name was discovered by Poinsett in 1828 during a trip to the southern region of Mexico. He encountered the shrub growing wild around Taxco, in the state of Guerrero. In its native habitat, the plant could grow up to 15 feet tall and was known to the Aztecs by the Nahuatl name Cuetlaxóchitl.
Poinsett was fascinated because its upper leaves naturally turned a brilliant red during the late autumn and early winter months. This seasonal coloring had already led Franciscan friars in Taxco to use the plant for decorating Nativity scenes, calling it Flor de Nochebuena, or “Christmas Eve Flower.” Poinsett collected cuttings and shipped them back to his greenhouses on his plantation in South Carolina. He also shared specimens with botanical contacts, including John Bartram in Philadelphia, which began the plant’s circulation among American horticulturists.
Establishing the Plant as a Holiday Tradition
The plant was formally named Poinsettia in the United States in honor of its introducer, Joel Roberts Poinsett. The common name was adopted after Philadelphia nurseryman Robert Buist began selling the plant to the public under the name Euphorbia Poinsettia. The plant’s natural tendency to display its vibrant color during the December holiday season helped cement its early association with Christmas.
The plant’s transition to a commercial commodity was largely driven by the Ecke family, German immigrants who settled in California. Starting in the early 1900s, the family, led by Paul Ecke Sr., began cultivating and marketing the plant as a Christmas decoration. Paul Ecke Jr. later developed a proprietary grafting technique that produced the fuller, bushier potted plants seen today, giving the family a near-monopoly for decades. Through extensive marketing, including sending free plants to television stations for use on Christmas specials, the Ecke family ensured the poinsettia became a symbol of the American holiday season.