Celebrating National Poinsettia Day in Westminster

According to the official website, Poinsettia Day marks the death date of botanist, physician and minister, Joel Roberts Poinsett.  It was Poinsett who first sent cuttings of the Poinsettia from Southern Mexico to his home in Charleston, South Carolina. 

Once the flower reached the United States, Paul Ecke Jr. developed a technique that causes seedlings to branch allowing the Poinsettia market to take “root” in the America. 

The House of Representatives appointed Poinsettia Day in July of 2002 in order to honor Ecke Jr.’s discovery which now allows the Poinsettia industry to contribute upwards of $250,000,000 to the U.S. economy at wholesale level each year. 

There are a number of legends and uses associated with Poinsettias dating back to ancient times.

• Use of the plant to celebrate Christmas in Mexico dates back to the 17th century myth of a young girl, distraught that she had no gift to give the baby Jesus.  The legend says that an angel told the girl that any gift given in love is a wonderful gift.  The girl then gathered weeds by the roadside and when she set them as an offering around the manger they transformed into a beautiful red star shaped flower we now know as the Poinsettia.
• The Aztecs called the plant “Cuitlaxochitl” meaning “star flower” used to produce red dye.
• The sap from the flower was used to control fevers.

To celebrate Poinsettia Day, stop by a local florist to check out a variety of beautiful holiday wreathes and Christmas displays.

Flowers by Evelyn (Westminster) - 92 East Main Street, Westminster, MD 

• White and red small basket: $44.95 
• Large red Poinsettia Basket: $59.95 
• Holiday Homecoming Basket: $59.95 

The Cutting Garden (Westminster) – 330 One Forty Village Road, Westminster, MD

• While the Cutting Garden does not carry Poinsettia’s, they have a variety of other Christmas displays that feature other seasonal flowers.

Stewart N. Dutterer Flower Shop (Westminster) – 114 Pennsylvania Ave., Westminster, MD  

• Red and White Poinsettia Baskets: Small: $29.99, Large: $35.99-39.99

The Flower Box II (Westminster) 

• Fruit and Poinsettia Basket: $54.95 
• Red Poinsettia Basket: $39.99 

Rippel’s Florist (Eldersburg) -  1519 Liberty Rd, Eldersburg, MD  

• Radiant Poinsettia Blooming Plant:  $40.00 - 60.00  

Metzler’s (Eldersburg) - 935 West Liberty Rd, Sykesville, MD     

• Radiant Poinsettia Blooming Plant:  $40.00 - 60.00