The poinsettia is now one of the most recognisable symbols of Christmas, but its journey from Mexico to Spain is full of history.
The very first Christmas in Bethlehem took place over 13,000 kilometres from the poinsettia’s natural home, in a rocky canyon in what is now south-west Mexico. In Spain, it is usually called Flor de Pascua, or simply Pascua. You may also hear it referred to as El Pascuero or Flor de Navidad.
The reason it is called Flor de Pascua in Spain and parts of Latin America is that the word Pascua can mean Easter or the wider Christmas period, not just Easter Sunday. The plant blooms in December, which naturally linked it to the Christmas season. Franciscan friars used poinsettias in nativity scenes centuries ago. Its Christmas association began in 17th-century Mexico. The red leaves represented Christ’s blood, earning it the name La Flor de Nochebuena, the Christmas Eve Flower.
The bright flower of the Aztecs
Long before Europeans arrived in the Americas, indigenous peoples in Mesoamerica prized this plant. It blooms in December in regions such as Taxco and Cuernavaca in Mexico, as well as parts of Guatemala. People considered its bright red leaves and milky white sap sacred. The Aztecs called it cuetlaxochitl, meaning “bright flower,” and the Mayans named it k’alul wits, or “flame flower.” They used the sap to help new mothers produce milk and to treat bleeding, while incorporating the leaves into various remedies.
From indigenous plant to Christian symbol
The poinsettia became linked with Christmas after Franciscan missionaries arrived in the 16th century. Holly, the traditional European Christmas plant, was not available, so the red poinsettia was a perfect substitute. The colour symbolised the blood of Christ, and the star-shaped arrangement of the leaves suggested the Star of Bethlehem.
Poinsett: The American who brought the flower to the world
The plant is named after Joel Roberts Poinsett, an American diplomat and amateur botanist. He served as the United States ambassador to Mexico from 1825 to 1829. Poinsett was fascinated by the plant and sent cuttings back to his home in Charleston, South Carolina. This helped to make the plant well known in the United States. In 1836, it was officially named poinsettia in his honour. In the US, 12 December is now National Poinsettia Day, which coincides with the Latin American celebration of the Virgin of Guadalupe.
Domesticating the Christmas flower
It was not until the 20th century that the poinsettia became the compact, potted plant we recognise today. American florist Paul Ecke crossbred varieties so they could be grown indoors. In Spain, poinsettias became popular in the 1980s and are now widely grown in regions such as Andalusia, Cantabria, Murcia, and Catalonia. There are now more than 100 varieties available, from red to white and pink, all tracing their origins back to the original Mexican cuetlaxochitl.
