(52) Poinsettia (Reprinted from audio distribution)
To the table of contents for other Neko-tsu works
To the table of contents for other plants seen during Neko-tsu's walks
Regarding poinsettias,
I have previously covered them as a script for free readings and narration.
While there is some overlapping content, there are also characteristics of poinsettias not touched upon here, so please take a look if you are interested.
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Shocked by a poinsettia planted in the ground!
The "burning bright red legend" brought by the Mexican ambassador [Plant Walk]
Hello everyone!
The November 27th broadcast of "Plant Walk." This time, we feature the poinsettia, a symbol of Christmas. From the discovery of a "ground-planted" poinsettia that made me look twice during a walk, to its surprising ecology, the Mexican ambassador who gave it its name, and the heartwarming Christmas legend, Neko-tsu talked about it in depth.
[First Half Topic ①] The discovery of ground planting and the mystery of the henbit
Originally, poinsettias are plants from the tropical savanna climate of Mexico and Central America, their place of origin, and because they are very sensitive to cold, they are enjoyed as potted plants in Japan. Neko-tsu seemed unable to hide his surprise at seeing such a poinsettia planted in the ground.
🎤Neko-tsu: This is Neko-tsu. It is November 27th, today's plant walk. The other day, while I was out for a walk, I saw it! A poinsettia planted in the ground! I thought, "Whoa!" Poinsettias are sensitive to cold, so they must be in pots, and you have to bring them inside during the winter, otherwise they will wither, which would be a waste. That was my understanding, so when I saw it planted in the ground, I couldn't help but look twice.
Speaking of flowers blooming on the ground at this time of year, there are cases like the henbit mentioned last time, which is supposed to bloom in the spring but blooms out of season. Henbit germinates in the autumn and survives the winter, but in sunny places, it can bloom outside of its flowering period (March to June), so the scene Neko-tsu saw of it "blooming in winter" is a botanically possible phenomenon.
[First Half Topic ②] In its place of origin, it is a "tree taller than a house roof"
Poinsettias seen in pots are at most about 60cm tall, but in their native mountains of Mexico and Central America, they grow as evergreen shrubs, or "trees," reaching heights of 3 to 5 meters.
🎤Neko-tsu: Poinsettias are originally from Central and South America. Since they are native to warm places, they grow very large over there. I once saw a photo from someone living in Guatemala where a poinsettia was taller than the roof of a house. It was like, "Wait, is this a poinsettia?" So, they are originally "trees." The size is completely different from what we see in pots in Japan.
[Second Half Topic ①] Named after the first Mexican ambassador
The English name "Poinsettia" is derived from the name of Joel Roberts Poinsett, the first United States Minister (Ambassador) to Mexico.
🎤Neko-tsu: The origin of the name Poinsettia is that in the first half of the 19th century, a man named **Poinsett**, who was the Mexican ambassador at the time, introduced it to the United States, so it was named Poinsettia after him. His name was Joel Roberts Poinsett, and it was named after him for that achievement. So, actually, the name doesn't come from Christmas or anything like that. However, the contrast between the red and green is the perfect Christmas color, so it seems it spread all over the world.
[Second Half Topic ②] The legend of the poor girl and the "Flower of the Holy Night"
Poinsettias have long been used by indigenous people in Mexico for medicinal purposes and as dyes, but Christian missionaries linked them to Christmas, and they came to be called **"Noche Buena" (Flower of the Holy Night).**
🎤Neko-tsu: The reason the poinsettia became a symbol of Christmas is because of a legend from Mexico. Long ago, there was a poor girl in Mexico. She wanted to give an offering to the church on Christmas Eve, but she had no money. She picked weeds from a field and made a bouquet, but she hesitated to enter the church, thinking, "Is it okay to offer such a shabby thing to God?" Then, her companion told her, "If you have love and sincerity, God will accept any offering," and the girl made up her mind and entered the church. And the moment she offered those weeds at the altar, the shabby bouquet turned into a burning bright red bouquet. There is a legend that that was the poinsettia.
🎤Neko-tsu: That story spread, and the poinsettia became a symbol of Christmas. It's a truly heartwarming legend, isn't it? Love and sincerity turned it into a miracle flower. When I see a poinsettia, I remember this legend and feel the warmth of Christmas. That is how things are these days.
Editor's Note
It was an episode that deepened our knowledge, from the surprising ecology of being a cold-sensitive "tree" that you wouldn't imagine from the appearance of a poinsettia, to the origin of its name, and the heartwarming legend. In particular, Neko-tsu's discovery of a poinsettia planted in the ground by chance was a major highlight of this walk.