Are poinsettia leaves poisonous? Well, the answer is both yes and no. Hold on tight as we unravel the mystery of this ubiquitous Christmas plant!
The History Behind the Poinsettia
Before diving into whether poinsettias are poisonous, let's know a bit about their origin. Poinsettias were first discovered in Mexico by Joel Roberts Poinsett, who was an American botanist and diplomat. He brought them back to the US where they became extremely popular thanks to Paul Ecke Jr., who made these plants attractive enough for people to buy as indoor decorations during Christmas.
Myth 1: Eating Poinsettia Leaves will Kill You!
One of the most widespread myths regarding the poinsettia is that even a little ingestion can lead you six feet underground. Is it true though? Thankfully not! In fact, according to some tests conducted by toxicologists, it would take more than eight pounds of poinsettia leaves ingested at once to cause any harm.
However, don't go munching on them just yet because eating too much could still make you have an upset stomach or mild vomiting.
Myth 2: Even Touching a Poinsettia Leaf Can Be Harmful
It's often thought that if someone touches a poinsettia leaf with bare hands, their skin could become irritated or result in dermatitis — but again, this isn't true! Unless you're allergic (which is possible), touching potted potted up budding blossoms shouldn’t affect your health in any way whatsoever.
Instead of cutting down on all those chocolates Santa gifted you last night due allergies caused 'unnecessarily'—take time out for testing that. Oops!
Working Mechanism That Makes People Believe It’s True
People still believe such 'facts' about poinsettia since it's better to be safe than sorry, right? That being said, many plants contain toxins or allergens; the misleading information about this widely-created myth lies in the fact that poinsettias have some irritants but not enough to cause any serious damage. Similarly, other festive indoor harmless items such as scented candles may also trigger allergies—but we use them anyhow.
Myth 3: All Pets Will Die If They Ingest Poinsettia
Are you one of those people who are super-cautious and believe feeding their pets anything apart from pet food isn't good for their health? Well, even if you aren't — It's a common misconception that consuming a few leaves of the beautiful red plant can kill animals or your sassy-tiny-doggy. As per the American Society for Prevention of Cruelty towards Animals (ASPCA), mouth sores, vomiting and drooling could result from chewing a bit too much making it painful while defecating— although only mild irritation occurs otherwise. So basically even if curiosity lead’s your doggo to sniff up on some garden greenery—the highest he'll get is probably hyper-back taste difficulties!
Now before you go congratulating yourself on how level-headed you are when someone gifts/sends over these vexed-notions-endorsing leafy plants next Christmas party— there actually exists an actual reason why kids should maintain distance. Parts of these pretty potted-up things provide potential choking hazards given medical emergencies resulting due insufficient air passing through esophagus in case accidentally consumed by younger age groups.
Just imagine being embarrassed at E.R department with doctors trying tirelessly removing what got stuck 'right there'! A shame indeed!
- Eating eight pounds (approx. 4kg!) would prove fatal.
- Dermatitis from touching it — not true!
- Animals can eat (a bit), but children could choke on small parts.
- All plant consumption results in mild stomach pain and vomiting.
Do Your Homework Before Jumping to Conclusions
Many people choose to stay away from poinsettia since they believe it'll cause certain unappealing health issues due reliance placed upon bogus news reports. But instead of taking the shortcuts—you should research, maybe watch a couple of educational videos or read real articles as opposed to relying solely upon think pieces by amateurs who’ve never even seen one of these plants —due diligence is crucial.
Congratulations for broadening your knowledge-base—and while we don't recommend you start baking them with sugar anytime soon—we hope that this article clarifies things up once-and-for-all about the prevailing myths surrounding our favorite Christmas ornament!