Poisonous Poinsettia Myth

Poinsettias are some of the most misunderstood plants in the world. People associate it with Christmas when it has nothing to do with the Birth of Jesus. It originated in Mexico, not Middle East. Gardeners expect their plants to flower during Christmas and all they get are pre-Easter Blooming Poinsettias.

Flowering in Poinsettias are triggered by short days. After the plant is exposed to short days or long nights (as in Autumn and winter), they start forming the small yellow flowers.

Yes, the real flowers are the small yellow roundish things at the center of all the vivid-colored inflorescence.

The bright red petal-looking thing is the Bract or modified leaf.

Latex oozes out of the plant parts when they are mechanically damaged.

This gives people the idea that it may be poisonous. And in fact, in 1883, William Robinson of the The English Flower Garden stated that Euphorbias are of “… no value for the flower garden… and they are all poisonous.”

This irresponsible statement started off the rumors that Poinsettia, a Euphorbia is poisonous.

In 1919, an Army doctor stationed in Hawaii reported that a two year old died after ingesting a singular leaf of Poinsettia.

The report was untrue but set the media off into frenzy and the Poinsettia was criminalized without defense.

Finally, the Society of American Florists asked Ohio State University to conduct toxicology tests on Poinsettias to decide if Poinsettia is poisonous or not.

And in the 70’s they uncovered the truth: Poinsettia is

NOT POISONOUS!

But alas, most gardeners and pet owners’ minds has been conditioned through these false reports that it became an urban myth.

Even pet manuals give stern warning on possession of Poinsettias in the homes as high risk for pets.

The idea has been recycled and proliferated through different media including the television.

The Ohio State University study concluded that if a 50 lb. child (or Pet) consuming 500 bracts of Poinsettias, he would at worst suffer from a minor stomach upset.