Blog by Paula Pashby
I love the winter season, and I always know that winter is upon us when I start seeing the beautiful Poinsettias, Euphorbia pulcherrima, everywhere. They are hard to miss, with their vibrant red, white, and pink specialized leaves.
I buy a Poinsettia every year and place it as a centerpiece on our dining room table. However, this year I thought I might have to pass on the Poinsettia because we recently adopted a stray kitty. Unlike our other pets, this cat is young and loves to explore everything in our home, including tasting our house plants. I had to replace several of my office plants that he had nibbled down to the stems.
I heard that Poinsettia could be poisonous to people and pets, but I never had a reason to validate the notion until the little rascal, Timmy, came into our lives. I do want to continue the tradition of decorating our dining room table with a beautiful Poinsettia, but not at risk of harming Timmy. So, I dove into my research mode (which I enjoy) to investigate the notion that the plant may be poisonous.
I was pleased to learn that Poinsettias are minimally toxic and not deadly. The sap of the plant may cause mild skin irritations, and if ingested, could cause an upset stomach. I was able to dispel the toxicity rumor, and I now feel better about bringing home a Poinsettia for the holidays. According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, “Poinsettias have undergone extensive testing, and there is no evidence that they are toxic or unsafe to have in the house. They are also safe to put into the compost”.
I wondered why the toxicity notion has been floating around for such a long time. An interesting article by C. Wohleber, from the University of Missouri MU Extension, states it’s a myth. The article states that, “It’s a myth that poinsettias are toxic. The myth dates back to a 1920 academic article about poisonous plants in Hawaii that included an unconfirmed account of a 2-year-old dying after eating poinsettia leaves. The tale was repeated in a 1944 textbook, and the poinsettia’s toxicity was enshrined as scientific truth.”
This is excellent news: It is now time to go shopping for my seasonal Poinsettia!