Poinsettias were first introduced into the United States in 1825 by Joel Robert Poinsett. While serving as the first U.S. ambassador to Mexico, he had occasion to visit Taxco and found the plants growing on adjacent hillsides.
Who brought the poinsettia to the US and when?
The Aztecs were the first to cultivate poinsettias. Cultivation in the US began when diplomat Joel Roberts Poinsett sent some of the plants back to his greenhouses in South Carolina in the 1820s.
How did the poinsettia become popular in the United States?
In the early 1900s , the poinsettia began to gain popularity. Paul Ecke Sr. developed the first poinsettia plants that could be grown indoors in grow pots. ... Today, the poinsettia is the most popular plant sold during the holidays and the best-selling potted plant in the United States.
Where were poinsettias first sold in the United States?
All available evidence suggests that the poinsettia was first sent to the Bartram Garden in Philadelphia in the fall of 1828. The successful transport of live plants from Mexico to Philadelphia in 1828 was almost certainly due to the fact that a number of friends of Bartram’s Garden were on the scene in Mexico.
Where Are poinsettias originally from?
The poinsettia is native to Southern Mexico and has been used in religious ceremonies for centuries. In 1828, the U.S. Ambassador to Mexico, Doctor Joel Poinsett, sent a clipping of the plant back to home in South Carolina.
Do white poinsettias turn red?
Many people wonder what makes poinsettias turn red. It is actually the plant’s leaves that provide its color through a process called photoperiodism. This process, in response to certain amounts of light or lack thereof, turns the leaves from green to red (or pink, white, and other shade variations).
What does a poinsettia symbolize?
While considered by the ancient Aztecs to be symbols of purity, in today’s language of flowers, red, white or pink poinsettias, the December birth flower, symbolize good cheer and success and are said to bring wishes of mirth and celebration.
What is the legend of the poinsettia at Christmas?
From that day on, the bright red flowers were known as the ‘Flores de Noche Buena’, or ‘Flowers of the Holy Night’. The shape of the poinsettia flower and leaves are sometimes thought as a symbol of the Star of Bethlehem which led the Wise Men to Jesus . The red colored leaves symbolize the blood of Christ.
Are poinsettias only for Christmas?
It also is significant that the poinsettia not only is the most popular Christmas plant but also is the No. 1 flowering potted plant in the United States. Despite its short selling period between Thanksgiving and Christmas, it has far outdistanced the second-place chrysanthemum and third-place zonal geranium.
WHO and from what country was the first poinsettia brought to the United States?
Joel Roberts Poinsett, who introduced America to the poinsettia in 1828, after discovering it in the wilderness in southern Mexico . Dr. Poinsett, who dabbled in botany when he wasn’t politicking between nations, sent cuttings of the plant back to his South Carolina home.
What is the life expectancy of a poinsettia plant?
“Home gardeners generally keep their poinsettias one or two years . If they’re really dedicated, maybe a little longer. But the life span for interior plants when you live in the North is measured in months, not years.”
Do poinsettias like sun or shade?
Poinsettias need a minimum of six hours of indirect sunlight each day . Protect the plants from freezing temperatures, especially when transporting them. Place them in a light-filled room away from drafts. They do best in rooms between 55 and 65 F at night and 65 to 70 F during the day.
Which state grows the most poinsettias?
Although every state in the United States grows poinsettias commercially, California is the top producer with over 6 million pots grown, followed by North Carolina with 4.4 million pots sold, and Texas with about 3.7million. Florida and Ohio round out the top 5, each with over 3 million poinsettias sold.
Are purple poinsettias real?
Poinsettias can also be orange, pink, pale green, and even purple . Those might not be associated with the holiday, but all of them are brilliant images that can occupy your home’s main décor in any other part of the year.
Is a poinsettia poisonous?
Poinsettia plants are less toxic than once believed . In most cases, poinsettia exposure causes only discomfort, including: A mild, itchy rash. Skin contact with the sap of a poinsettia plant can cause a rash.
Are poinsettias poisonous to dogs?
From ingestion dangers to electric shock, many customary Christmas decorations can be hazardous to dogs and cats. Poinsettias are a mildly toxic plant and should certainly be used with caution, but the dangers are hardly ever serious or fatal.
