MUNDANE MYSTERIES: Are Poinsettias, the festive red holiday plant, poisonous?!

Closeup of red poinsettias (Euphorbia pulcherrima) flower background

MUNDANE MYSTERIES: Are Poinsettias, the festive red holiday plant, poisonous?!

There’s been a rumor around the holidays that those beautiful red plants we all love this time of year, are poisonous.  This is not true. Ohio State University did a research project which showed that a 50-pound child would have to eat more than 500 leaves to have any harmful effect.  This is ver unlikely to happen, because apparently the leave have an “awful taste.” they say. I’m not looking to find out either.

Even though they aren’t truly poisonous, they do say you should keep pets from snacking on poinsettia leaves, because it can really upset their stomachs. And no one wants that around the holidays.

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