Bust the myth - are poinsettias poisonous?
To get into the festive mood you might like to buy a few poinsettias to brighten up your home but you’ve heard they’re poisonous so now you’re not sure
20
Dec
2011
To get into the festive mood you might like to buy a few poinsettias to brighten up your home but you’ve heard they’re poisonous so now you’re not sure. This myth resurfaces this time every year and I can assure you it’s not true.
This myth probably started when in 1919 the death of a two-year-old child was incorrectly attributed to a poinsettia leaf. The truth is a child who weighs about 50lbs would have to eat over 500 poinsettia leaves to reach a potentially toxic dose from a poinsettia plant.
However, it has to be said that accidental ingestion of poinsettia leaves could cause nausea and vomiting.
Source: Daily Mirror
