Cathy Isom lets us know how the official flower of Christmas was discovered and how much Americans will spend annually on this favorite potted plant. That’s coming up on This Land of Ours.
Poinsettia Day
Poinsettias are a blossoming plant best known for their beautiful red and green foliage. This time of year, you’ll likely find them just about everywhere you look, step, and shop.
Monday, December 12th is National Poinsettia Day. The date marks the death of Joel Robert Poinsett, an American botanist, who in 18-28 discovered the beautiful plant and sent cuttings from Southern Mexico back to his home in South Carolina. Some 175 years later, the House of Representatives created Poinsettia Day, to honor Paul Ecke Jr., a farmer from California, who is considered the father of the poinsettia industry. It was Ecke’s discovery of a grafting technique which causes seedlings to branch that allowed the Poinsettia industry to flourish. Every year Poinsettias contribute up to 250-million to the U-S economy at the wholesale level.