Poinsettia

Are Poinsettias poison? Right here I want to state clearly Poinsettias are NOT poisonous plants. I address this topic more completely elsewhere in this piece.

Once again there are an abundance of Poinsettias available. And some poor Poinsettia is going to be sacrificed because someone will think it is a good idea to give me one. Usually someone who feels they need to give me a small birthday or Christmas gift and doesn't know me very well.

I try. I really do. But I'm just not a good plant mommy. The only houseplant to survive my tender care is the Philodendron and, while it might be possible to kill a Philodendron, it would take a special effort. Don't water them enough? Philodendrons just hunker down and wait until water comes along. Water them too much? Well, they get pretty funny looking, but they survive. Leave a Philodendron out in the cold? Not a problem down here where I live. Maybe if you left one outside in Indiana or Maine the cold would prove to be too much for a Philodendron, but not down here in Texas.

Poinsettias are hardy, but not hardy enough to survive me. I either water too much or leave them standing in water (a big no-no) or else I forget to water them enough. It is best to water a Poinsettia daily, but not let the pot stand in water for very long. A bit of plant food every few weeks is good, but again not much.

The Poinsettia, named for Joel R. Poinsett, American ambassador to Mexico in 1829, is native to Mexico. It really is a hardy plant that survives in a warm climate that is somewhat arid.

In Mexico Poinsettias are known as Flores de Noche Buena, or Flowers of the Holy Night. This is because they bloom around Christmas time.

No, no, the big red leaves are not the blooms. The tiny yellow bits in the middle of all those big red leaves, called bracts, are the flowers of the plant.

The Poinsettia can survive outdoors if you are in just the right area. I grew up in San Antonio, Texas and it was not at all unusual to see a huge Poinsettia in someone's yard. Of course, the climate is such that occasionally bananas will be seen as well. Since it takes two years without a freeze for a banana tree to make bananas this is only a once-in-awhile happening.

As for the common notion that Poinsettia is poisonous It just isn't true. Most people think they are though and, once again, poison control centers and veterinary offices are going to be inundated by calls from panicky parents and pet owners because their darling has just been discovered snacking on the Poinsettia.

Nearly everyone has read warnings about Poinsettia that claims the plant is poisonous. But is this true? In fact, it isn't.

According to the Ecke Poinsettia Growers there was one incident in 1919 when the two year old child of a military officer, stationed in Hawaii, munched on some Poinsettia and shortly thereafter died. The Poinsettia was considered the culprit. This was later proven to be untrue, but the myth lives on.

Since that incident there have been no recorded instances of death by Poinsettia. The American Medical Association's Handbook of Poisonous and Injurious Plants does say that sometimes vomiting is a side effect of ingesting the leaves. It doesn't say so in the book, but this is probably caused by the fact that the leaves are extremely bitter. The leaves are so bitter, I'm not sure how anything or anyone ever takes more than one nibble.

As for kitty throwing up after munching on the leaves well, cats do have a tendency to hack up hairballs anytime they get a chance to consume leaves. I can assure you that, unless your cat is fragile because of a previous condition, you do not need to be concerned if your cat nibbles on the Poinsettia. If one eats a large amount of Philodendron leaves there is some cause for concern, but not the Poinsettia.

Ohio State University conducted experiments to determine if there was any truth to the idea that Poinsettias were poison. They tested leaves, stems and sap of the plants and found them to be non-toxic. A 50 pound child would have to eat 500 to 600 leaves to exceed the experimental doses used in tests. Frankly, I'd think a child that size would be sick from eating that much of anything.

Further information on the subject of Poinsettias and their possible toxicity can be found at www.snopes.com/holidays/christmas/poinsettia.asp