Poinsettias of Old Hollywood, Part I
Hollywood Poinsettias/Courtesy Tommy Dangcil
I was surprised to find this vintage postcard in the collection of Tommy Dangcil because I had not previously heard of poinsettias being grown in Hollywood. Judging from the single building in the hills, the image dates back more than a century, to when Hollywood still had large agricultural tracts. Most were planted with lemons and oranges, crops that would soon give way to movie studios and other commercial properties.
What makes the postcard even more striking is the fact that the poinsettia was not well-known at the time, and less a commercial crop than a curiosity. Native to Mexico, the plant--despite its red color--was not even particularly identified with Christmas. Its popularization was largely the work of Paul Ecke, a San Diego County grower who not only tirelessly promoted the poinsettia as the Christmas "flower" (in fact, the red parts are leaf-like bracts, while the yellow centers are the flowers) but who, with his son Paul Jr., created the white, pink, yellow and variegated types that are available today. Because of Ecke, Encinitas has long been the undisputed capital of poinsettia cultivation, producing 80% of the world's plants. In light of its long history in Encinitas, discovering the poinsettia's early connection to Hollywood was an unexpected pleasure.
Related posts:
https://underthehollywoodsign.wordpress.com/2013/01/11/visiting-tommy-dangcil/ https://underthehollywoodsign.wordpress.com/2013/03/14/vintage-hollywood-by-night-part-ii/ https://underthehollywoodsign.wordpress.com/2013/03/12/vintage-hollywoodland-by-night/ https://underthehollywoodsign.wordpress.com/2013/02/20/a-hollywood-newcomers-cabin-1909/