 |
  Happy Holidays! December 2004 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
||||||
|
Poinsettias...... Did You Know?
Here are a few little known facts about this fascinating plant:
Perhaps the first religious connotation placed on Poinsettias originated during the Seventeenth Century. Franciscan priests near Taxco began to use the flower in the Fiesta of Santa Pesebre, a nativity procession. It soon came to be symbolic of the Star of Bethlehem and quickly associated itself with the Christmas season. The
modern discovery of the Poinsettia can be credited to Joel Robert
Poinsett, a botanist, who discovered the beautiful plant
More Holiday Plant Trivia
Holly -- Holly's ability to look good in both winter and summer certainly helped its position in folklore. Representing immortality and seen as a good omen, Holly was considered sacred by the ancient Romans. When winter began, Holly was brought into homes to shelter the elves and faeries.
|
|
Long
before the Poinsettia became known and used as a festive holiday
decoration, it had a history that is botanical, medical and useful.
Who knew that growing wild in the countryside of Mexico was a beautiful
plant that would become so popular?
The
Aztec king Montezuma would have Poinsettias brought into what is
now Mexico City by caravan because they would not grow at the high
altitude. The Aztecs used the sap to control fevers and the bracts
(modified leaves) to make a reddish dye.
growing
wild in the valleys of Mexico and took cuttings back to his greenhouse
in South Carolina. In the early 1900's, the Ecke family of Southern
California grew Poinsettias outdoors as a landscape plant and for
cut flowers. Today, Poinsettias are grown in the family greenhouse
and the Eckes are recognized as the leading producers of Poinsettias
in the United States.
The
true flower of the Poinsettia is small and yellow, but surrounding
the flower are the large leaves, often mistaken for petals. Commonly
bright red in color, these leaves may also be found in white, pink
or bi-colored varieties. In the wild, the Poinsettia plant grows
as a large shrub or a small tree. With its lovely, red, star-shape,
the Poinsettia is a wonderful addition to your seasonal décor.
Mistletoe
-- Legend tells that the tears of Scandinavian goddess Frigga
saved her son after he was shot with an arrow made of mistletoe.
When she ordered mistletoe never again be used to harm others, she
made it a symbol of peace and love. It was hung over doorways to
ward off evil and bring happiness, health and good luck, and kissing
under the mistletoe was thought to increase the possibility of marriage
in the upcoming year.
Did
you know that the Poinsettia has a day of it's own? By an
Act of Congress, December 12 was set aside as National Poinsettia
Day.
