History

14th - 16th Century

The Aztecs called Poinsettias "Cuetlaxochitl." In the 14th to 16th centuries, the sap was used to control fevers and the bracts (modified leaves) were used to make a reddish dye. Montezuma, the last of the Aztec kings, brought Poinsettias into what now is Mexico City by caravans because Poinsettias could not be grown in the high altitude.

The ancient Aztec Indians of Mexico cultivated and regarded this plant as a symbol of purity before Christianity came to the western hemisphere. They called the plant cuetlaxochitl which means “mortal flower that perishes and withers like all that is pure.”

a bunch of red poinsettias with green leaves

17th Century

In the 17th century, Juan Balme, a botanist, noted the Poinsettia plant in his writings. 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."

19th Century

Joel Roberts Poinsett was the first United States Ambassador to Mexico, appointed by President John Quincy Adams in the 1820s. 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.

20th Century

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

A nurseryman from Pennsylvania, John Bartram is credited as being the first person to sell Poinsettias under its botanical name Euphorbia pulcherrima.
In the 1920s, the Ecke family of southern California grew Poinsettias outdoors for use as landscape plants and as a cut flower. The family grew Poinsettias in greenhouses and today is recognized as the leading producer of poinsettias in the United States.

December 12 is Poinsettia Day and marks the anniversary of the death of Joel Roberts Poinsett in 1851.