Poinsettia

The poinsettia is a real Christmas plant, and is frequently bought in December. Its eye-catching bracts immediately capture the attention with their bright colours. The poinsettia is available in various colours and shapes, and will last two months or even longer if looked after well.

Origin

Euphorbia pulcherrima, better known as the poinsettia, originates from Mexico. The plant is a member of the spurge family. The species name ‘pulcherimma’ means ‘the most beautiful’ in English. It was given this botanical name because of its eye-catching coloured bracts.

Colours

The brightly coloured bracts make the poinsettia a true symbol of Christmas. In the past, the poinsettia was only available in red. Nowadays it comes in various colours such as red, white, pink, cream and even yellow. The bracts grow on the buds in the shape of a star. Take a look in our webshop to explore the various colours and shapes of the poinsettia.

View our offer poinsettias in different shapes and colours.

Meaning of the poinsettia

Euphorbia pulcherimma’s Christmas symbolism is derived from a Mexican story. A poor girl called Pepita from Mexico wanted to buy a gift to honour God on Christmas Eve. Unfortunately Pepita had no money, but she was still desperate to give something. She realised that God does not care about the money spent, but about the loving gesture.

So Pepita made a bouquet out of weeds, and brought this to the church. As soon as Pepita entered the church, the weeds began to bloom and lots of green and red flowers appeared. These flowers turned into glittering stars.

In other words: Christmas is about giving love, and not about the money you spend.

New trends

The poinsettia is a popular plant at Christmas in its own right, but there are new trends involving the poinsettia every Christmas. For example, the colours pale pink and yellow are becoming increasingly popular with consumers. Poinsettias are also regularly used in Christmas arrangements because of their usability, such as in Christmas wreaths, as a table decoration and even as a hanging plant. If you decorate your poinsettia with fairy lights or glitter, you will have a truly unique festive creation.