Spirit of the Poinsettia

Poinsettia Insettia Poinsettia Spirit of the Poinsettia: A hint of holiday meaning in multiple colors

WENDED MY WAY THROUGH ROWS of evergreens to the tune of "White Christmas" as I approached the annual Poinsettia Festival at Gardener's World with my twin boys, Blake and Hayden. I chuckled at the lyrics since I hadn't had a white Christmas since moving to Phoenix in 1987. But my amusement turned to awe as I stepped through the candy-striped tent into a wonderland of red and green.I don't remember when I lost my love for one of America's favorite holidays-maybe when I discovered Santa Claus was a costumed fabrication or when I fully understood credit card bills. I drifted off into the singles scene and left the hubbub behind-until my boys were born. Suddenly, I was compelled to cooperate in the mass madness of the holiday season. No longer satisfied with a little plastic tree, my boys decided they wanted to fill the house with color, music and gifts.

So there we were trying to find the perfect Christmas tree and a poinsettia to brighten up the house. Thrilled with the riot of color, Hayden bent to smell the bright flowering plants. Disgruntled, he looked up at me. "Mom they don't smell so good," he said. But disappointment devolved to delight when he spotted Santa under a towering tree made of tiered poinsettias. And off they went.

Poinsettias (Euphorbia pulcherrima) are tropical Mexican shrubs that the Aztecs dubbed cuetlaxochitl, or "false flower." The warlike Aztecs in the 15th century considered the red and green plant a symbol for blood sacrifices. They also used the plant to treat skin infections, cut fevers, stimulate circulation and make red dye. In the 17th century, Franciscan priests near Taxco noted that the plants bloomed at Christmas and so shifted the symbolism to represent the death of Christ.

One charming story told in Mexico attributes the origin of the plant to a young girl named Pepita. The girl's one wish was to give a gift of great beauty to the Christ Child on Christmas Eve. But the poor child had nothing of her own to give and so gathered a bouquet of weeds plucked from the side of the road-which made her even more sad that she had nothing beautiful to give. Nonetheless, she entered the village chapel and placed her weeds and wishes at the foot of the manger in the Nativity scene. And then a miracle happened in that village chapel-the withered weeds transformed into a bouquet of brilliant red blooms. Those who witnessed the miracle christened the blooms Flores de Noche Buena, or "Flowers of the Holy Night."

Despite the plant's popularity south of the border, it didn't emigrate to the United States until the early 1880s after Ambassador Joel Roberts Poinsett discovered it during a Christmas season expedition into Mexico. Poinsett, an amateur botanist, cultivated the red blooms in his South Carolina greenhouse. Years later, horticulturist William Prescott named the plant for him.

Today, more than 100 varieties of poinsettias range from the classic red to the marbled hybrids. At the festival we saw red, pink, white, peach and cream in the poinsettia palette.

We spent the morning listening to local choirs and nibbling on tasty holiday treats. The boys had their faces painted, and I purchased some crafty Christmas ornaments at one of the many booths. Together we picked out a Christmas tree and then grabbed a wagon to take our pick of poinsettias.

One of the on-site gardeners gave us a few pointers on plucking the perfect poinsettia. He told us to check for still-closed buds among the flowers in the center of the bright red leaves, or bracts. He also cautioned us against excessive leaf drop. When selecting a traditional, full-leafed variety, find plants with large bracts extending over the lower green foliage.

We began our search. Despite their lack of a showy scent, Hayden began to fill our little wagon with one of every kind-one for his teacher, one for home, one for Granny, one for Dad. Then Blake got in the giving mood and we went back for more-Red, White, Pink, Jingle Bells, Marble, Peppermint, Monet, Snowcap, Fire and Pink.

Although my pocketbook was decidedly lighter, my boys' beaming faces also lightened my heart. And as we headed out to our car with our wagonful of flowers, I decided that maybe this Christmas thing wasn't so bad after all. AH Find a complete list of holiday events at arizonahighways.com (Click on "Holiday Guide")