Euphorbia Species, Poinsettia Species, Flor de Nochebuena, Christmas Eve Flower, Christmas Star

Here people plant them in their flower beds for a festive look around Christmas and they usually keep them all winter, but in the spring...Read More they are replaced with other flowers. I dont know why no one just plants them as a shrub. They plant them in the flower beds at one of the coldest times of the year (for us December is usually colder for some reason. It starts to warm up in January. i dont know why.), so it cant be that they are not cold hardy. although we are actually classified as zone 8b, we have mostly 9a "winters", so technically they shouldnt grow here during the holidays, but they do. Does anyone have an idea as to why?

The Aztecs called poinsettias "Cuetlaxochitle." During the 14th - 16th century the sap was used to control fevers and the bracts (modifie...Read Mored leaves) were used to make a reddish dye.

Montezuma, the last of the Aztec kings, would have poinsettias brought into what now is Mexico City by caravans because poinsettias could not be grown in the high altitude.


William Prescott, a historian and horticulturist, was asked to give Euphorbia pulcherrima a new name as it became more popular. At that time Mr. Prescott had just published a book called the Conquest of Mexico in which he detailed Joel Poinsett’s discovery of the plant. So, Prescott named the plant the poinsettia in honor of Joel Poinsett’s discovery.

The botanical name, Euphorbia pulcherrima, was assigned to the poinsettia by the German botanist, Wilenow. The plant grew through a crack in his greenhouse. Dazzled by its color, he gave it the botanical name, Euphorbia pulcherrima meaning "very beautiful."


Joel Roberts Poinsett was the first United States Ambassador to Mexico being appointed by President Andrew Jackson in the 1820's. At the time of his appointment, Mexico was involved in a civil war. Because of his interest in botany he introduced the American Elm into Mexico. During his stay in Mexico he wandered the countryside looking for new plant species. In 1828 he found a beautiful shrub with large red flowers growing next to a road. He took cuttings from the plant and brought them back to his greenhouse in South Carolina. Even though Poinsett had an outstanding career as a United States Congressman and as an ambassador he will always be remembered for introducing the poinsettia into the United States.

A nursery from Pennsylvania, John Bartram is credited as being the first person to sell poinsettias under its botanical name, Euphorbia pulcherrima.


In the early 1900's the Ecke family of southern California grew poinsettias outdoors for use as landscape plants and as a cut flower. Eventually the family grew poinsettias in greenhouses and today are recognized as the leading producer of poinsettias in the United States.

Here are some nice poinsettia facts...

Poinsettias are native to Mexico.

The Aztecs called the poinsettia Cuetlayochitl.

Chile and Peru called the poinsettia the "Crown of the Andes."

Poinsettias are part of the Euphorbiaceae family. Many plants in this family ooze a milky sap.

In nature, poinsettias are a perennial flowering shrubs that can grow to ten feet tall.

The showy colored part of poinsettias that most people think are the flowers are actually colored bracts (modified leaves).

The flowers or cyathia of the poinsettia are in the center of the colorful bracts.

Poinsettias have been called the lobster flower and flame leaf flower.

Poinsettias are not poisonous.

A study at Ohio State University showed that a 50 pound child who ate 500 bracts might have a slight tummy ache.

A fresh poinsettia is one on which little or no yellow pollen is showing on the flower clusters in the center of the bracts.

Poinsettias represent over 85 percent of the potted plant sales during the holiday season.
Ninety percent of all poinsettias are exported from the United States.

Poinsettias were introduced into the United States in 1825 by Joel Poinsett.

Poinsettias are commercially grown in all 50 states.

California is the top poinsettia producing state.

December 12 is National Poinsettia Day.

The Paul Ecke Ranch in California grows over 80 percent of poinsettias in the United States for the wholesale market.

Ninety per cent of all the flowering poinsettias in the world got their start at the Paul Ecke Ranch.

There are over 100 varieties of poinsettias available.

$220 million worth of poinsettias are sold during the holiday season.

Seventy-four percent of Americans still prefer red poinsettias; 8 percent prefer white and 6 percent pink.

Eighty percent of poinsettias are purchased by women.

Eighty percent of people who purchase poinsettias are 40 or older.

Poinsettias are the best selling potted plant in the United States.

Poinsettias are the most popular Christmas plant even though most are sold in a 6 week period.

Sixty million pots of poinsettias were grown in 1997.

The cost of a poinsettia is determined by the number of blooms.

it is a well known fact among most gardeners that the poinsettia plant is not poisonous. Go to any poisonous plants page and you will ...Read Morefind more. The plant is named after James Poinsett, who I'd rather forget because his job was to rid the U.S of american indians, not so respectful. So lets call this pretty plant euphorbia . Also grows with proper care after the holidays I'm not so sure about all of the closet buisness or the calculated daylight to get it to bloom. Just water and repot. Its green leaves are way nicer than red. I've had mine for about 2 years or so its taken on quite a tree appearance.

San Antonio, Tx.
Joel Roberts Poinsett, our first ambassador to Mexico, who dcovered this plant while in Mexico in 1828, brought ...Read Moreback cuttings and grew them in his greenhouse in South Carolina. The rest is history. The Aztecs called the poinsettia Cuetlayochitl; whereas, in Chile and Peru it is called the "Crown of the Andes." It is known as "lobster flower", "flower of the Holy Night" and "flame leaf flower" as well. The flowers (cyathia) are located in the center of the colorful bracts. Do not plant near a night time light source as this will disrupt the blooming cycle.

If you have never heard the legend of the Christmas poinsettia which originated in Mexico and are interested read below:

A girl named Maria and her little brother Pablo were very poor, but they always looked forward to the Christmas festival with great anticipation. In the village church each year a manger scene was placed for all to view. Parades and parties preceded Christmas day with all the villagers taking part in the festivities. The two children were sad each year because they had no money with which to buy presents. They wished above all that they could give Baby Jesus in the manger scene a present. They tried to find something to give, but they had nothing.

One Christmas Eve on their way to attend the church service, they picked some weeds growing along the roadside as their gift to the Baby Jesus in the manger scene. The other children teased them upon their arrival with their gifts, but they did not reply because they knew they had given all that they had to give. The children began placing the green plants all around the manger. The green top leaves of the weeds turned into bright red petals with yellow centers and the manger was surrounded by the beautiful plants that we know today as poinsettias.