Friends of the Arboretum Lecture
"Poinsettia: A 200-year Journey from Gangly Mexican Shrub to Christmas Icon"
James E. Faust, Associate Professor, Department of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, Clemson University
- Thursday, December 3, 2015 – 7:30 pm–9:00 pm
The poinsettia may well seem like the Kim Kardashian of the plant world: gaudy, over-hyped, vain, and ultimately boring; however, nothing could be farther from the truth. The poinsettia has undergone the implausible transformation from humble, somewhat homely, flowering shrub to harbinger of the holiday shopping season across the western world. This journey has been fueled by the indefatigable human spirit, scientific serendipity, and marketing genius. Fortunes have been won and lost, secrets hidden and exposed, and legends made and forgotten. Jim Faust is a floriculture professor at Clemson University currently writing a book that reveals the extraordinary story of the poinsettia and the people that devoted their lives to its success. Jim will take you along on his journey to Mexico in search of the wild cuetlaxochitl as he unravels the intriguing tale behind the familiar and beloved poinsettia, cultivating a newfound appreciation for this horticultural beauty.
- Cost
- Free for Friends of the JC Raulston Arboretum members, NC State University students (with ID), and Department of Horticultural Science faculty and staff, all others $5.00.
- Registration
- Advance registration is not available.
- Location
- Ruby C. McSwain Education Center, JC Raulston Arboretum at NC State University, 4415 Beryl Road, Raleigh, North Carolina.
- Directions
- Need directions? Click here.
- Parking
- Free parking is available at the JC Raulston Arboretum and along Beryl Road.
- Questions
- Please call (919) 513-7005 for more information about this lecture.