Poinsettias

The poinsettia, the most popular holiday plant, is best known as the plant with bright red flowers on a green background. Let’s explore their characteristics, their proper care, and discuss the issue of whether they are poisonous to pets.

The showy poinsettia “flower petals” are specialized leaves called floral bracts. The small, yellowish-green (and sometimes red) structures in the middle are the true flowers called cyathia. Although the cyathia are without petals, they do contain both male and female flower parts. The whorls of showy bracts are the involucre.

Red is still the most popular color, but bracts may also be pink, salmon, yellow, white, or multi-color.

Karen Mitchell, Purdue consumer horticulture specialist, shared best care practices.

After you purchase or receive plants, wrap the top in a plastic sleeve, similar to a bouquet. She said this is enough to protect the plant for a short time, such as transport to and from a car. Nothing fancy is required – even a plastic grocery bag over the top will help. Poinsettias are native to southern Mexico and Central America, so exposure to Indiana winter conditions can cause them to drop some leaves.

In the home, Mitchell recommended a sunny and draft-free location away from doors, next to a window for bright light. She said to keep poinsettias at least a foot away from cold window panes.

She said it’s best to water poinsettias in a sink or tub until water drains out of the holes on the bottom of the pot. If decorative foil is still around the pot, poke holes in the bottom to allow water drainage. She cautioned people never to allow the pot to sit in standing water, as this can lead to root rot and decline.

If they are well cared for, poinsettias can last well past November and December, but they will begin dropping leaves in February, when they will enter dormancy. You can cut them back to a few inches of stem at this point. Continue to water when needed (but less than before) until regrowth begins. After the danger of frost is past, these containers can be moved outdoors, or the plants can be planted outside. Bring it back inside when fall brings cooler temperatures. She said it will likely remain green unless you force a color change by putting a box over the plant for at least 10 hours a day for six to eight weeks.

Are poinsettias poisonous?

Purdue experts Rosie Lerner (retired), Tom Creswell, and Gail Ruhl (retired) wrote that many people wonder if their pets might be harmed if they chew on poinsettia plants. They said that many websites list poinsettia plants as toxic, but reputable sources associated with poison control centers or universities will usually mention a skin irritation or very low toxicity to animals.

They cited the College of Veterinary Medicine at Washington State University, which said that poinsettias contain a milky sap that can irritate the mouth, but if signs develop, they are usually mild.

So, although commonly assumed to be poisonous to animals, poinsettia plants are not harmful to household pets unless the leaves and bracts are eaten in very large quantities. “Some cats that chew on the leaves may salivate and can vomit if the leaves are swallowed,” they wrote. “Since cats and puppies frequently chew on new plants introduced to the home, it is prudent to place the plants out of reach!”