Common names: poinsettia
Description: Poinsettias are a popular gift and
home decoration for the Christmas season. Flower-like
bracts as large as 12 inches across grow on these potted
plants and may be red, white, pink, yellow, speckled or
variegated; these bracts surround the tiny, yellow true
flowers.
Despite the longstanding myth, the poinsettia is the most
widely tested plant and has been proven to be non-toxic
- Research conducted at The Ohio State University
conclusively proved that all parts of the poinsettia
are non-toxic to both humans and pets.
- According to POISINDEX®, the information resource
used by the majority of poison control centers around
the country, a 50-pound child would have to eat 500-600
poinsettia leaves to surpass the experimental doses
that showed no toxicity.
- In addition, a study released last year by Children's
Hospital of Pittsburgh and Carnegie Mellon University
found that out of that out of nearly 23,000 poinsettia
exposures reported to poison control centers nationwide,
there was essentially no toxicity of significance
of any kind.
Special care: Water thoroughly when soil surface
feels dry remove excess water from trays and foil covers.
Bright, indirect light will prolong their life.
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