The Garden Clickit                                December

               By Bob Stewart

            The Non-Poisonous Poinsettia

          One of the most persistent myths in gardening is that of the poison poinsettia.  Despite sound evidence to the contrary, poinsettia phobia continues.  A recent Bruskin/Goldring Research poll of 1,000 Americans commissioned by SAF found that 50 percent of those polled said they believed poinsettias are toxic if eaten.  Only 16 percent correctly know that they are not.  Another 34 percent said they don’t know.  “It’s a testament to the persistence of myths,” says Paul Bachman, marketing chairman of the Society of American Florists (SAF).  “Poinsettias simply are not toxic.  That was proven 23 years ago in scientific tests and we want to set the record straight we want people to know that there’s absolutely no reason to miss out on this favorite holiday plant.”

          In fact, no other consumer plant has been as widely tested as the poinsettia.  Researchers at Ohio State University (OSU) have measured the effects of ingesting unusually high does of all parts of the plant (including leaves, stems and sap) and found the plant to be non-toxic.  According to POISINDEX (R), the information resource used by the majority of U.S. poison control centers, a 50 pound child would have to eat more than 1.25 pounds of poinsettia bracts (500 to 600 leaves) to exceed the experimental does that found no toxicity.  That’s not to say you should eat one, though.  Like other non-food items, if ingested, the poinsettia may cause some stomach discomfort – but nothing more.  According to the American Medical  Association’s Handbook of Poisonous and Injurious Plants, other than occasional cases of vomiting, ingestion of the poinsettia plant has been found to produce no effect.

          After reviewing all available poinsettia-related information, the CPSC denied a petition in 1975 to require warning labels for poinsettia plants.

          The poinsettia’s species name, pulcherrima, means “most beautiful”.  And that it is, with its large red bracts and rich green foliage.  This pairing of red and green may be what has made the poinsettia the second most popular holiday plant, second only to the Christmas tree.

          The poinsettia is a member of the euphorbia family of plants.  These plants are characterized by white milky sap high in latex.  The poinsettia which originates in Central America and Mexico, was brought to America by our first ambassador to Mexico, Dr. Joel R. Poinsett in 1825, after whom it was named.  It may be the similarity of his name to the word poison that make people associate them with toxicity.

          Another well known plant in this group is the crown of thorns.  Both the poinsettia and the crown of thorns have biblical legends associated with them.  According to legend, a Mexican girl named Pepita was on her way to church on Christmas Eve, and having no flowers to bring to the Christ Child, she, under the encouragement of her brother grabbed some weeds along the way to offer as a gift.  As she approached the altar, a miracle occurred and the weeds blossomed into brilliant flowers.  These became called the Flores De Noche Buena, the Flowers of the Holy Night, now called poinsettias.  The crown of thorns was the plant used to make the crown Jesus wore when he was crucified.  Up until that time it bore a beautiful white flower, but after it was chosen to make that crown, it forever more bloomed red.                              

      Bob Stewart has a B.S. in Horticulture from Penn State, and has worked in this field for 25 years as a wholesale grower, grounds manager, and retail florist / garden center manager.