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The Poinsettia – a Christmas flower of Tenerife |
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Written by Steve Andrews
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 Poinsettias (Euphorbia pulcherrima) are used worldwide as a symbol of the festive season and although the plant is originally from the Pacific coast of Mexico, some parts of central southern Mexico, and other areas in Guatemala, it is commonly grown in Tenerife in parks and gardens. In the north of the island of Tenerife the Poinsettia does particularly well and in autumn and winter makes a spectacular display along many a roadside, on roundabouts and in borders.
 Around Christmas time on Tenerife, Poinsettias are planted in mass in parks and other public gardens and individual plants are grown in pots on balconies, in entrances to buildings and anywhere a splash of bright red colour would help add to the spirit of the season.
 The Poinsettia is actually a member of the very large spurge family (Euphorbiaceae), some of which look more like cacti, whilst others are leafy plants, but all have a characteristic white milky latex, which is toxic and can cause burning. The spurges are known as tabaibas in Spanish and there are many endemic as well as introduced species that grow on Tenerife.
 Tabaiba Roja, the Red Spurge (Euphorbia atropurpurea), Tabaiba Dulce, the Sweet Spurge (Euphorbia balsamifera), and Cardón, the Canary Spurge (Euphorbia canariensis) are some examples of endemic species, whilst the Milk-striped Spurge (Euphorbia lactea) and the Crown of Thorns (Euphorbia splendens) are ornamental non-native species commonly seen growing on Tenerife. Both the Cardón and the Milk-striped Spurge are examples of plants in the spurge family that resemble cacti with their succulent leafless and spiny stems.
 The Poinsettia was named after Joel Roberts Poinsett, the first American ambassador to Mexico, who introduced the plant to the U.S. in 1825. Some alternative names for the Poinsettia are Mexican Flame Leaf, Christmas Star, Winter Rose, Noche Buena and Pascua.
Poinsettias are shrubs that can become small trees, which can reach a height of as much as 16 ft but are generally seen a lot smaller. The Poinsettia has dark green leaves that measure up to 6 inches in length. The top leaves, correctly known as bracts, are flaming red, pink, or white and are often thought of as flowers, although the actual flowers are the small yellow structures found in the centre of the surrounding bracts.
In the UK and many other colder countries the Poinsettia is often sold to be grown as a pot plant to decorate the home around Christmas time, but on Tenerife this lovely plant can be grown all year round out of doors where it brightens up the island with magnificent shows of colour.
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Tenerife Island