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History of the Poinsettia

Euphorbia pulcherrima Willd., the poinsettia, is a member of the botanical family, Euphorbiaceae, said to be named for King Juba’s physician. The showy red, pink, or white portion of the plant, popularly referred to as the flower, consists of modified leaves or bracts. While each individual leaf is correctly a bract, common usage has designated the entire showy portion as the bract or bracts.

The poinsettiaiis native to the area of present-day Taxco, Mexico and was cultivated by the Aztecs before Christianity came to the Western Hemisphere. During the 17^th century, a group of Franciscan priests settled near Taxco and began using the poinsettia in the Fiesta of Santa Pesebre, a nativity procession, because of the flower’s color and holiday blooming time.

Poinsettias were first introduced in the United States in 1825 by Joel Poinsett, those the modern-day name, who was serving as the American Ambassador to Mexico. Himself an accomplished botanist, Poinsett sent plants to his home in Greenville, South Carolina as well as to some of his horticultural friends in the United States. In 1902, Albert Ecke, an immigrant from Germany, arrived in the Eagle Rock Valley to farm what is now a portion of Los Angeles. Albert and his son, Hans, began raising field-grown flowers specializing solely in poinsettias from 1909 on.

The present-day poinsettia cultivar has been hybridized greatly from the original Mexican plant through the efforts of many horticulturists in the United States and Europe. Varying heights, colors, bract width and flowering habits make the poinsettia a much-loved traditional holiday plant.