Name: What you need to know about poinsettias
Uploaded: 2025-12-10T02:31:33.145Z
Duration: 1 min 40 s
Description: Are poinsettias poisonous? How do you keep yours healthy? And where do they come from anyways? Garden expert Rob Sproule has those answers and more.

Are poinsettias poisonous? How do you keep yours healthy? And where do they come from anyways? Garden expert Rob Sproule has those answers and more.

Sherwood Park

Rob Stroll from Salisbury clarifies that poinsettias are not deadly to humans or pets, debunking a myth that dates back over a century. While the plant's sap may cause mild nausea if ingested in large amounts, it is not highly toxic, unlike holly or mistletoe berries, which are dangerous for children and pets.

Stroll also offers care tips for poinsettias, advising against overwatering and recommending placement away from drafts and heat sources. He suggests selecting plants with mostly closed buds and assures that, with proper care, poinsettias will maintain their color throughout December.

What you need to know about poinsettias

It's Christmas myth-busting time! I'm Rob Stroll at Salisbury. Today, our most common question, will poinsettias kill me or my child or my pet? And the answer is no, they will not. That's a myth that goes back over a hundred years ago. In 1919, a little girl in the States died and they attributed it to the poinsettia leaves. The reason for all the fear is this. It's this milky white sap, okay? It has latex in it. All euphorbia, that's the family, have this kind of sap. It's a huge family. In some species, embrace them to the skin. In some species, it is very dangerous. Poinsettias are not. If you or your toddler or your pet eat a handful leaves, they'll probably get nauseous and throw up. That's normal. But it would literally take a massive amount to make them sick. So, myth busted. What is dangerous, however? Holly berries, mistletoe berries. The berries are extremely dangerous on those plants. So if you have kids or pets, consider artificials if you're looking for those things in your decor. The most common problem people have with poinsettias is by watering them too much, otherwise known as loving them too much. They're from an arid region of Mexico, so you want to keep them on definitely on a dry side in between watering. You don't have to fertilize them. That's all been done already. And you want to keep them away from cold drafts, away from the front door drafts, away from the heat register drafts, because that heat's gonna go up and just desiccate the leaves. When you're choosing a poinsettia, pro tip, look in the middle and you want those buds to be closed, and preferably not very many open, and definitely not black. And it'll keep its color all through December and you can just enjoy it right through Christmas.

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