Poinsettias Are Not Poisonous

Poinsettias are highly popular this time of year and are a beautiful accent to decorating and entertaining. However, during the holidays there continues to be an annoying rumor that makes its way through the community. The rumor is that the poinsettia plant is poisonous. Not true!

While the genus (Euphorbia) to which the poinsettia plant belongs does contain some highly toxic plants, the poinsettia itself is NOT toxic. Some sources attribute the rumor about the dangers of poinsettia leaves to a case of poisoning in 1919 that led to the death of a two year-old child. At the time, the cause of the poisoning was incorrectly determined to be a poinsettia leaf. According to POISINDEX (the primary resource used by the majority of poison control centers nationwide) a child who weighs 50 lbs. would have to eat over 500 poinsettia leaves to reach a potentially toxic dose of compounds in the poinsettia plant.

So decorate to your hearts content! Try mixing things up a bit by displaying a poinsettia wreath or cut flower poinsettias in addition to the traditional poinsettia plant. Just remember, if you opt for cut flower poinsettias you will need to sear the cut stems with a flame to stop the milk sap from seeping out of the plant (the stem will still absorb water).