I do want to point out that a lot of really destructive non-native invasive species, including plant diseases, have arrived in the U.S. through nursery plants that arrived in pots of foreign soil. That old foreign-soil law should be better enforced, because some of the awful arrivals are much more recent than a century.
They include a disease that arrived in the Nineties in pots of soil holding rhododendrons, a disease that has now killed tens of thousands of oak trees in the western U.S. and keeps killing more. An older example is the Japanese beetle, which arrived in the soil around Japanese plants that were brought here from Japan in 1916. A depressing long list could be compiled.
I would be very much in favor of finding some effective way(s) to enable Mexico to better profit from Mexico's beautiful plant. But now that a variety of non-native invasive species are known to be transported in soil, including recent big ecological problems like the jumping worm, we need less importation of soil from far away, not more.
I think it's so important to recognize the historical origins of cuetlaxochitl and call it that. When I learned that fact a few years back, I've never called it anything but that since. Thanks for giving it its due!
Very interesting article, although it is agonizing to learn the history of its popularity in the US. AND the part of racism in this story. I'm so glad Laura Belin pointed me to it! Thank you for the service of writing and sharing this! I too will try to learn to call the plant cuetlaxochitl (kwet-la-sho-she) instead of poinsettia.
Thank you for this deep dive of information on the origins of the cuetlaxochitl plant and its passage to the U.S. Any future views of the stunning plant stand enriched by your words!
This is a very good column.
I do want to point out that a lot of really destructive non-native invasive species, including plant diseases, have arrived in the U.S. through nursery plants that arrived in pots of foreign soil. That old foreign-soil law should be better enforced, because some of the awful arrivals are much more recent than a century.
They include a disease that arrived in the Nineties in pots of soil holding rhododendrons, a disease that has now killed tens of thousands of oak trees in the western U.S. and keeps killing more. An older example is the Japanese beetle, which arrived in the soil around Japanese plants that were brought here from Japan in 1916. A depressing long list could be compiled.
I would be very much in favor of finding some effective way(s) to enable Mexico to better profit from Mexico's beautiful plant. But now that a variety of non-native invasive species are known to be transported in soil, including recent big ecological problems like the jumping worm, we need less importation of soil from far away, not more.
I think it's so important to recognize the historical origins of cuetlaxochitl and call it that. When I learned that fact a few years back, I've never called it anything but that since. Thanks for giving it its due!
Diane, thank you and thanks to Laura Belin for sharing it. I appreciate your readership and comment.
Very interesting article, although it is agonizing to learn the history of its popularity in the US. AND the part of racism in this story. I'm so glad Laura Belin pointed me to it! Thank you for the service of writing and sharing this! I too will try to learn to call the plant cuetlaxochitl (kwet-la-sho-she) instead of poinsettia.
I learned from my guest author Lora Conrad that there is a wild poinsettia, native to parts of Iowa. It's not as vibrant as the cuetlaxochitl.
https://www.bleedingheartland.com/2017/10/11/iowa-wildflower-wednesday-wild-poinsettia/
Thank you for this deep dive of information on the origins of the cuetlaxochitl plant and its passage to the U.S. Any future views of the stunning plant stand enriched by your words!