The Surprising Origin Story of the Poinsettia

How The Poinsettia Became a Christmas Staple

Ah, the beautiful poinsettia. This bright red Christmas plant is a hallmark of fun, festive days, and merry occasions. But did you know that before it became a Christmas favorite, the poinsettia had a long and complicated history? 

Like many of the iconic symbols we associate with holidays and other traditions, the poinsettia’s story spans hundreds of years. The poinsettia’s story begins in Mexico, where the plant grows natively. Aztec people regarded the poinsettia as a magical plant and used its sap for medicinal purposes while creating dyes from its leaves that stained clothing and textiles. By the 17th century, when Europeans entered Mexico, the poinsettia was a beloved decorative plant that could be found in homes, gardens, and town squares throughout the country. When Catholic monks began settling in Mexico, they incorporated poinsettias in their nativity processions during the Christmas mass. Around the same time, the Mexican legend of Pepita and her “Flowers of the Holy Night” became popular, which linked the plant to Christmas folklore forever. 

According to the legend, Pepita was a young girl traveling in her village to view the Nativity scene at the chapel. Pepita was eager to present baby Jesus with a gift, but she did not have enough money to buy him anything. So she gathered a bundle of leaves and weeds and arranged them into a floral bouquet. Once she arrived at the chapel and laid her bouquet of weeds next to the Nativity Jesus, the weeds transformed into a beautiful red flowering plant. 

Until the 19th century, the poinsettia was only local to Mexico, where it was called Cuetlaxochitl, and its folkloric connection to Christmas stayed within Mexican culture. In 1828, the first U.S. Ambassador to Mexico and celebrated botanist Joel Roberts Poinsett visited Mexico. Poinsett was enchanted by the Mexican countryside and its diverse native flora. On this trip, he collected a sample of the red-leafed plant that would later be named after him. Poinsett studied and cultivated the plants and made a practice of giving them as gifts during the Christmas holidays when the upper leaves were most likely to turn red. Additional enthusiasts cropped up around the United States, and by the 1830s, the plant was named “poinsettia.” 

Generations of poinsettia fans and botanists continued to popularize the plant and cultivate it indoors in pots. One of these figures, Paul Ecke Sr., began selling potted poinsettia at roadside stands in Hollywood. In 1923, he created the Ecke Ranch, which still provides nearly 80 percent of the poinsettias that are bought and sold in the U.S. today.

Make Allen’s Flower Market Your One-Stop Shop for Poinsettias

Bring a bit of history into your holiday decorations this year! Allen’s Flower Market has what you need to infuse a bit of merriment into your holiday festivities. We offer several stunning variations of red and white poinsettias in baskets and ceramic pots. To make things as easy as possible, we offer same-day delivery throughout Southern California and work with a network of floral artisans nationwide so that you can trust us with all of your floral orders.