The Unlikely History of How the Poinsettia Became a Christmas Symbol

Every holiday season, vibrant red and green poinsettias fill our homes and stores.

But the fascinating history of how the poinsettia became a symbol of Christmas is rooted deep in Mexican lore.

An old story tells of a young girl named Pepita who had no gift to offer the baby Jesus on Christmas Eve.

She gathered a simple bouquet of weeds from the roadside.

As she placed them at the nativity scene, they were miraculously transformed into brilliant red flowers.

This is the beautiful legend of the "Flor de Nochebuena," or Flower of the Holy Night.

For centuries, this plant, once called cuetlaxochitl by the Aztecs, remained a regional treasure in southern Mexico.

Its journey to American households began with one man.

In 1828, Joel Roberts Poinsett, the first U.S. ambassador to Mexico and a passionate amateur botanist, encountered the stunning plant.

He sent cuttings back to his greenhouse in South Carolina, where the "Mexican Fire Plant" began to gain attention.

It was eventually renamed in his honor.

However, it was a California grower named Paul Ecke who truly turned the poinsettia into a holiday icon.

Ecke developed a grafting technique that created the full, bushy plants we recognize today.

He then masterfully promoted them by sending free plants to television shows and holiday specials across the country.

This single act of marketing genius cemented its place in American homes.

Today, this once-wild shrub is the best-selling potted plant in the nation, forever tied to the spirit of the holidays.

Why are poinsettias the Christmas flower?

Their connection to Christmas began with a Mexican legend about a poor girl's gift to the baby Jesus transforming into the beautiful red flower. They also naturally bloom during the winter season, making them available and festive for the holidays.

Who is the poinsettia named after?

The plant is named after Joel Roberts Poinsett, the first U.S. ambassador to Mexico, who introduced the plant to the United States in the 1820s after seeing it on a trip.

What is National Poinsettia Day?

National Poinsettia Day is celebrated on December 12 to honor the death of Joel Roberts Poinsett and celebrate the festive plant he introduced to the country.