Euphorbia pulcherrima

Christmas Star, Christmas Flower, Poinsettia, Christmas Flower, Mexican Flame Leaf

Message of the Flower

Opening of the Vital to the Divine Love

The Mother’s Comment

Little by little it is no longer the ego that governs, but the Divine.

Spiritual Message by the Mother/ Quotes by Sri Aurobindo

It is a mistake to believe that if the vital loves, it must be a love that demands and imposes the satisfaction of its desire; it is a mistake to think that it must be either that or else the vital, in order to escape from its "attachment", must draw away altogether from the object of its love. The vital can be as absolute in its unquestioning self-giving as any other part of the nature; nothing can be more generous than its movement when it forgets self for the Beloved. > > Sri Aurobindo, The Mother with Letters on The Mother: The Right Way of Loving the Mother

Colour

Green, golden-yellow, and red, pink, or white

Family

Euphorbiaceae

Cultivars

Prestige Red', 'Winter Rose Early Red', 'Pink Cadillac'

Person who named the flower

Named by Wilenow, common name honors Joel Roberts Poinsett

Flower Size

Tiny, less than 1 inch (true flowers)

Flower Texture

Smooth, delicate

Number of Petals

No petals; bracts are leaf-like

Floral Symmetry

Radial

Leaf Texture

Smooth, slightly leathery

Leaf Arrangement

Alternate

Leaf Color

Green, colorful bracts usually red

Structural Variation (Shrub or Tree)

Shrub

Life Cycle

Perennial in native habitat, often annual elsewhere

Blooming Period

Cultivated for Christmas season

Climate

Tropical, grown worldwide in greenhouses

Water Requirements

Moderate, well-drained soil required

Soil Type

Well-drained, fertile

Temperature Ranges

Sensitive to < 50F (10C)

Sun or Shade

Bright, indirect light

Susceptibility to Insects and Diseases

Whiteflies, spider mites, root rot

Pollinators

Not significant, propagated by cuttings

Habitat

Mexico and Central America

Role in the Ecosystem

Limited, mainly ornamental

Quotations

None noted

Ornamental

Widely cultivated for holiday decor

Uses in Other Aspects of Life

Decorative, especially during holidays

Endangered Status

Not endangered