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11/28/2004 Entry: "Poinsettias Not Toxic"

That popular holiday plant poinsettia is often included in lists of toxic plants. But it's not toxic! Jessica has the scoop: "Veterinarians will state with straight faces that poinsettias will kill cats or dogs, though no veterinarian on earth has ever seen this happen because it can't happen. The mature plant exudes a white milk similar to that of genuinely toxic euphorbias, which would tend to increase the belief in this myth once it got started. Yet there is not one case on record of poinsettias injuring pets or people. Nevertheless, some people, confronted with the evidence that their lifelong belief in poinsettia toxicity is incorrect, continue to justify their fears on the basis of allergic reactions to the latex."

More on poinsettias. When I was in horticulture school, questions about long-term care for the poinsettia plants you might get as gifts were answered like this: "St. Valentine's Day, throw it away!" They aren't delicate plants, but most folks don't have enough light inside their homes to keep them strong, and when you want them to rebloom the next year you have to put them in the dark each night (around 5 pm) starting in September. If you want to try this project, here are the instructions.

Posted by Karsten Schneider @ 11/30/2004 09:50 PM PST