'Flores de Noche Buena' Flowers of the Holy Night
poinsettia
\pȯin-ˈse-tē-ə, ÷pȯint-, ÷-ˈse-tə\
: a showy Mexican and Central American plant (E. pulcherrima) with tapering usually scarlet bracts that suggest petals and surround small yellow flowers
:large showy scarlet bracts surrounding the small yellow flowers, popular as a houseplant at Christmas
On behave of one of the most memorable Christmas plants, I have decided I cannot leave out a post on the Poinsettia.
Botanically known as Euphorbia pulcherrima, the poinsettia has been pegged with many different names from many different cultures such as "Lobster Flower," "Flame Flower," "Crown of the Andes," and its Spanish name 'Flores de Noche Buena' meaning Flowers of the Holy Night. Native to Central America, the poinsettia is actually a perennial shrub growing 10-15 feet tall. We can all thank Joel Roberts Poinsett who first introduced the plant In 1828. He was a physician, botanist and first United States Ambassador to Mexico. Furthermore, we can all applaud Paul Ecke Jr. for starting the Poinsettia industry 100 years later in California. By cultivating a seed from the Poinsettia, he was able to grow large beautifully branching bracts instead of a wild weedy looking plant from Mexico. His success lead him to hold a virtual monopoly on Poinsettia sales in the United States for close to 75 years. Eventually the Ecke family's secret was discovered by other horticultural researchers and competitors flourished in the 1990's and still do today.
There are now over 100 cultivated varieties of Poinsettia today. Poinsettia's embody texture, colors, and shapes. From red to pink, peach, white, orange, green, blue and even purple, the selection of Poinsettia's are endless.
When we think Christmas, we think Poinsettia. Arguably the most popular Christmas 'flower,' Poinsettia's certainly make a statement, but most people don't know that the actual flowers on a poinsettia are tiny insignificant yellow dots called cyathia in the center of many beautiful bright colored modified leaves called bracts.
Do you know the work that goes into your Poinsettia?
Most greenhouses start their production of Poinsettia's in late July or early August. This may seem surprisingly early but in order to keep up with supply and demand of Poinsettia's in November (sometimes even before Thanksgiving) growers must go to great lengths to market and sell all they can. Poinsettia's require a daily period of uninterrupted long, dark nights followed by bright sunny days for about two months in autumn in order to encourage colorful bracts. When I say dark, I mean like really dark nights, just a flick of a light switch on and off is enough to delay the bloom for days and mess up your scheduling. In order to get market ready Poinsettia's in November growers must use black cloths to manipulate day length from mid-September to mid-October. Poinsettia's are the best selling potted plant in the US and brings in some $60 million a year.
Here is a fantastic example of beautifully grown Poinsettias. One of my most cherished places to visit in the Twin Cities area, especially during Christmas.... If you ever want to warm up during the long winter months of Minnesota and view a wide selection of Poinsettia's, consider visiting the Marjorie McNeely Conservatory in St. Paul Minnesota.
The Marjorie McNeely Conservatory has been growing plants since November of 1915 when they first opened their doors. Every year from December to January they showcase their beautifully grown Poinsettia collection in their Sunken Garden. The conservatory contains two acres of gardens under glass with a number of different wings dedicated to a variety of plant life including bonsai trees, ferns, orchids and seasonal flowers. The conservatory is open year round featuring gardens inside and out as well as the Como Zoo with many animals to visit and learn about. There are no admission fees, but a suggested donation of two to three dollars. This is quite the treat considering all the work that goes into the Conservatory and the Zoo, it is quite amazing that everything is run strictly on donations. This is an amazing opportunity for all living in the Twin Cities area to explore, learn and breathe in some good plant vibes.
The Sunken Garden is pictured above, it has a distinct smell of paper whites and scenes of a tropical Christmas upon entering. There are different flower shows throughout the year featuring plants and flowers of Spring, Summer, Fall and Winter.
There is an old Mexican legend about how Poinsettias and Christmas came together:
There was once a poor Mexican girl called Pepita who had no present to give the baby Jesus. She picked a small handful of weeds from the roadside and made them into a small bouquet. She felt embarrassed because she could only give this small present to Jesus but she walked to the alter and placed the bouquet at the bottom of the nativity scene. Suddenly, the bouquet of weeds burst into bright red flowers, and everyone who saw them were sure they had seen a miracle. 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. The white leaves represent his purity.
For more information about the Como Park Zoo and Conservatory visit: http://www.comozooconservatory.org
I hope your Christmas and New Year were delightful and blessed.
-Amy