The Poinsettia hits town
POINSETTIAS are synonymous with Christmas in many parts of the world, and many plant lovers say Guyana is no exception. Although imported from places like the United States, Canada and Mexico, meaning that relative to other plants the price tag may be a bit high, many locals disregard this minor aspect of its acquisition for the exhilaration of seeing the flaming red plant and its flowers in their homes and patios.
The Poinsettia is scientifically known as Euphorbia pulcherrima, or Noche Buena. It is a shrub or small tree that grows to a typical height of between 0.6m and 4m (2ft to 16 ft), and bears flaming red  leaves that measure 7 to 16 cm (3 to 6 inches) in length.
The Poinsettia was discovered in 1800 by the first US minister to Mexico, Joel Roberts Poinsett, an avid botanist.
One Christmas long ago, Poinsett was strolling through the markets of Mexico City when he noticed the exotic flaming flowers that people were buying to decorate their homes and churches. Becoming fascinated with the strange flowers, which grew wild in the Mexican and Central American hot lands, he dubbed the brilliant red plant “painted leaves” because of its bright red petal-like leaves.
He pointed out that what many people thought were the flower petals of the Poinsettia were really leaves; the flowers were grouped within the small yellow structures found in the centre of each leaf bunch.
The Mexicans had many names for the plant: Flor de Fuego (fire flower), Flor de Pascua (Christmas flower), Flor de la Nochebuena (flower of the Holy Night).
Poinsett took the plant back to the United States and propagated it. It did not take him long to share this beautiful plant with other botanists.
One nurseryman who was grateful for the opportunity to cultivate the plant, named it the “Poinsettia”, after Poinsett.
It was, however, a German-Swiss immigrant named Albert Ecke who was responsible for commercialising the Poinsettia.
In fact, Ecke’s son, Paul, devoted 50 years of his life to taming the highly sensitive and temperamental plant.
For the junior Ecke, his most notable achievement was his involvement in creating more than 25 new varieties of Poinsettias, some of which are available in local flower shops.
In recent years, Ecke turned to hybridizing, and has now patented white, pink, coral and salmon-orange reds.
There is also a legend of the Poinsettia which comes out of Mexico.
It tells of a girl named Maria and her little brother, Pablo, who were very poor but always looked forward to the Christmas festival. Each year, a large manger scene was set up in the village church, and the days before Christmas were filled with parades and parties.
The two children loved Christmas, but were always saddened, because they had no money to buy presents.
They especially wished they could give something to the church for the Baby Jesus, but they had nothing.
One Christmas Eve, Maria and Pablo set out for church to attend the service. On their way, they picked some weeds growing along the roadside, and decided to take them as their gift to the Baby Jesus in the manger scene.
Of course, other children teased them when they arrived with their gift, but they said nothing, for they knew they had given what they could. Maria and Pablo began placing the green plants around the manger, and miraculously, the green top leaves turned into bright red petals, and soon the manger was surrounded by beautiful star-like flowers.
From that day on, the bright red flowers were known as the Flores de Noche Buena, or Flowers of the Holy Night, for they bloomed each year during the Christmas season.
From then on, too, 17th Century Franciscan friars in Mexico included the plants in their Christmas celebrations.
The star-shaped leaf pattern is said to symbolise the Star of Bethlehem, and the red colour represents the blood of Christ.
Next week, Nesha’s Flower Land at 223 Wellington Street and South Road, Lacytown, will be bringing in Poinsettia flower plants from Canada for sale.
The plant will be available as potted plants, or in Christmas centre-pieces which will comprise other Christmas flowers, and which will last for up to two months, once properly watered, says the establishment’s proprietor.