12th December is National Poinsettia Day. To get everyone excited and boost sales at New Covent Garden Flower Market and beyond, houseplant styling expert Dr. Susanne Lux from Stars for Europe (SfE) is sharing some cool insights about a plant that's been a Christmas staple for ages.
The Christmas Star, or Poinsettia, with their star-shaped bracts, are as iconic during the holiday season as Christmas trees, Advent calendars, gifts, and cards for many.
Dr. Lux dives into how the poinsettia became the go-to Christmas plant worldwide.
"Poinsettias originally hail from Mexico, where they grow as shrubs up to 5 meters tall," she explained. The Aztecs loved this beautiful plant, using it to decorate temples and make dye for clothes and medicine to reduce fever.
After the Spanish conquered Mexico, the poinsettia became a Christmas favourite, earning the name 'Estrella de Navidad' (Christmas star). When it appeared in a Franciscan monks' procession in the 17th century, it got the name 'Flor de Nochebuena' (Holy Night Flower) and became a Christian symbol.
"In 1825, a passionate amateur botanist named Joel Roberts Poinsett, who was also America's first ambassador to Mexico, got fascinated by the Holy Night Flower. He started sending them to South Carolina. Poinsett's friend, Robert Buist, also fell in love with the plants, naming them 'Euphorbia pulcherrima' (beautiful) and began selling them."
By 1909, a German-born emigrant, Albert Ecke, noticed the wild poinsettias around his farm turning red in December and saw an opportunity. He decided to cultivate poinsettias to sell as cut flowers from his street stand leading up to Christmas.
"After Albert's death in 1919, his son Paul I took over and made the poinsettia a festive symbol known as the Christmas Star," said Dr. Lux. "By 1920, he tried growing poinsettias in pots, but early varieties weren't great for that. It wasn't until the 1950s that new varieties made it possible, and from the 1960s, potted varieties started replacing cut flowers. The Ecke family also ran shops in Hollywood and put a lot of effort into marketing."
"This helped poinsettias become super popular in no time, becoming a big part of American Christmas culture. They also became a favourite houseplant and Christmas flower in Europe from the 1950s onward."
Today, there are tons of poinsettia varieties in different colours, shapes, and sizes. As potted plants and cut flowers, they're a lasting symbol of Christmas, blending old and new traditions, beautifying homes, and making thoughtful gifts. As Stars for Europe has shown over the years, they can be used in all sorts of festive DIY projects, with cut and mini poinsettias being perfect for creative crafters.
Christmas trees decorated with poinsettias
A decorated Christmas tree is the ultimate holiday symbol and is loved by everyone, not just kids, said Dr. Lux. Poinsettias make awesome living tree decorations.
"For festive Christmas decor, poinsettias shine as tree decorations, on presents, and as a sea of flowers in a vintage box used as a Christmas tree stand. It's a real forest-core vibe!
With their vibrant colours, they create an unforgettable atmosphere and make other decorations almost unnecessary."
