Present in homes, shop windows and end-of-year celebrations, the poinsettia is usually perceived as just a typical December ornament. However, its connection with Christmas is the result of a complex historical path, which involves indigenous religiosity, Christian appropriation, botanical science and economic transformation.
The scientific article published in , in 2011, reviews this journey and dismantles myths by showing how the plant became a lasting cultural symbol, rooted in practices long before its commercial popularization.
A plant surrounded by myths and meanings
The study describes the poinsettia as a “shrouded in” plant, a condition that reflects its continued presence in symbolic contexts throughout history. This mythical aura is not accidental: the species has occupied religious, social and aesthetic roles in different cultures.
The authors reconstruct the trajectory of the poinsettia from its Mesoamerican origin to its consolidation as the most valuable potted plant on the North American ornamental market.
Before Christmas: the sacred poinsettia of the Aztec people
Long before it was associated with Christian Christmas, the poinsettia had strong spiritual significance for those in Mexico. According to the article, the Nahuas called the plant cuetlaxochitl, a term linked to ornamental flowers of ritual value.
Although it did not grow naturally in Tenochtitlán, the capital of , the plant was transported in large quantities to the city during the winter. The study reports that the poinsettia was used in religious ceremonies, in addition to serving as a textile dye and having medicinal applications, extracted from its milky sap.
From indigenous religiosity to Christian Christmas
With Spanish colonization, there was a deliberate attempt to suppress indigenous religious practices. Even so, preserved historical records indicate that the poinsettia continued to be used in winter rituals, now reinterpreted in the light of Christianity.
According to the article, Christian missionaries began to incorporate the plant into their , especially because of its flowering in winter and its intense color. In this process, the species came to be called flor de nochebuena, or “flower of the holy night”, consolidating its association with Christmas in Mexico.
The symbolism of red and flowering in winter
Another central aspect addressed by the study is the coincidence between the natural cycle of the poinsettia and the Christian calendar. The plant blooms naturally in the winter of the hemisphere.
The red bracts, often confused with petals, reinforced this symbolic connection. According to the authors, the color red came to represent festivity, joy and celebration, contributing to the poinsettia being recognized as a visual element long before the era of mass consumption.
Joel Roberts Poinsett and the myths about “discovery”
The article dedicates a section to a critical review of the narrative that attributes the “discovery” of the poinsettia to the American diplomat Joel Roberts Poinsett. Although the plant bears its name in English, the authors clarify that Poinsett was not responsible for discovering it.
The study points out that specimens arrived in the United States through scientific and botanical networks, especially in Philadelphia, in the late 1820s. The association with Poinsett was later consolidated as an institutional tribute, and not as a precise record of botanical authorship.
The science behind the Christmas flower
One of the most relevant scientific advances reported in the study is the understanding of the poinsettia photoperiod. It is a short-day plant, whose flowering depends on long continuous periods of darkness.
From the 20th century onwards, producers began to artificially control exposure to light, synchronizing flowering with the month of December. This technical mastery was decisive in transforming the poinsettia into the “Christmas flower”, guaranteeing predictability and scale in production.
When tradition becomes industry
The article points out that the poinsettia has become the most economically valuable potted plant in the United States, generating hundreds of millions of dollars annually.
This growth is associated with the professionalization of cultivation and the role of producing families, such as the Ecke, who transformed the poinsettia into a pillar of ornamental horticulture. Cultural tradition, in this context, began to walk side by side with industry.
