Author Topic: Poinsettia plants dangerous?? Fact or Myth??  (Read 5500 times)

Offline VdogLover

  • Paw-meister
  • **
  • Posts: 584
    • View Profile
Poinsettia plants dangerous?? Fact or Myth??
« on: December 08, 2005, 10:05:35 am »
I was just watching  the news and they said that it is a MYTH that poinsettia plants are poisonous to dogs and cats???  I love the way  poinsettia plants look but have never had any due to always being told they are dangerous~ if thats a myth I'm off to buy some.
Does anyone know of any sites that may clear this up??

Anakalia

  • Guest
Re: Poinsettia plants dangerous?? Fact or Myth??
« Reply #1 on: December 08, 2005, 10:41:37 am »
I have heard this is a myth.  Hopefully someone can come along to tell us for sure.  I love the looks of Poinsetta's but I'm so good at killing plants I'm afraid to buy them! lol

Andi

Offline The Brindle Pack

  • Paw-meister
  • **
  • Posts: 582
    • View Profile
Re: Poinsettia plants dangerous?? Fact or Myth??
« Reply #2 on: December 08, 2005, 10:52:47 am »
http://www.truthorfiction.com/rumors/p/poinsettias.htm

Seems they ARE safe.  They may make you sick but will not kill you.

Cindy
« Last Edit: December 08, 2005, 10:54:26 am by The Brindle Pack »

Offline 2dobies

  • Big Paw Certified
  • **
  • Posts: 299
    • View Profile
Re: Poinsettia plants dangerous?? Fact or Myth??
« Reply #3 on: December 08, 2005, 10:55:07 am »
Got this info off the net:
 The ASPCA Animal Poison Center in Urbana, Illinois says it regards poinsettias as having such low toxicity risk that it doesn't even recommend decontaminatin g animals that may have ingested them.  The center says that there can sometimes be gastrointestin al distress from having ingested something alien to the digestive system.

 The American Veterinary Medicine Association of America (AVMA), doesn't include poinsettias on its list of plants that are a threat to animals.

Because of the belief that poinsettias are toxic, there are numerous visits to hospitals each year by concerned parents or pet owners whose children or pet have ingested or in some other way been exposed to poinsettias.

A study released in 2000 by Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh and Carnegie Mellon University found that out of nearly 23,000 poinsettia exposures reported to poison control centers nationwide, there was essentially no toxicity of significance of any kind.

We always have Poinsettias around inside at Christmas, and none of our dogs have ever showed an interest in them at all.
DOGS LAUGH, BUT THEY LAUGH WITH THEIR TAILS.

Anakalia

  • Guest
Re: Poinsettia plants dangerous?? Fact or Myth??
« Reply #4 on: December 08, 2005, 11:00:18 am »
Thanks so much for the info!  I've always thought they were poisonous but didn't know what to beleive when I heard that was a myth!  YAY!!!  I learned something new today!!  ;D

Andi

Anakalia

  • Guest
Re: Poinsettia plants dangerous?? Fact or Myth??
« Reply #5 on: December 08, 2005, 11:39:24 am »
I have heard this is a myth.  Hopefully someone can come along to tell us for sure.  I love the looks of Poinsetta's but I'm so good at killing plants I'm afraid to buy them! lol

Andi

Its good to know that they aren't poisonous, but I'm with you on this one Andi ... they may not hurt animals, but I'd sure as heck kill the plants.  I have a notorious black thumb.  Very embarassing for the wife of a landscaper.  Silk poinsettias for Jenn! lol

Wow!!  Jenn you're full of great ideas today!!  Silk Poinsetta's it is!!!  My easter lily plant died last week, so very sad!  It was HUGE and for some reason it just up and died on me.  I'm to attached to throw it away so I have a droopy brown leafed thing hangin' out in my kitchen! lol  Sounds like Silk plants and flowers will be the way to go for me!

Andi

Offline newflvr

  • Tail Wagging Champ
  • *****
  • Posts: 3390
  • Cowboy is four years old and Chester is almost two
    • View Profile
Re: Poinsettia plants dangerous?? Fact or Myth??
« Reply #6 on: December 08, 2005, 11:46:10 am »
Your Easter Lily plant is still alive....it's just gone dormant.  They do that in the winter.  Don't water it and put it in a  cool dark place  It will come back when it warms up.   Just start watering again and there you have it!!!

 Also, I just read an article on how it truly is a myth that poinsettias are poisonous.  They aren't.

Icerotti

  • Guest
Re: Poinsettia plants dangerous?? Fact or Myth??
« Reply #7 on: December 08, 2005, 12:15:39 pm »
I always thought they were dangerous too. Thanks for clairifing :D

Anakalia

  • Guest
Re: Poinsettia plants dangerous?? Fact or Myth??
« Reply #8 on: December 08, 2005, 12:28:39 pm »
Your Easter Lily plant is still alive....it's just gone dormant.  They do that in the winter.  Don't water it and put it in a  cool dark place  It will come back when it warms up.   Just start watering again and there you have it!!!

 Also, I just read an article on how it truly is a myth that poinsettias are poisonous.  They aren't.

You sound like you know a bit about Easter Lily's!!  If I take a pic of it and show you will you tell me if it's truly dead or not?  I'd like to keep it because it was from my great grandma's funeral so if it's not dead that would be great, but it looks awfully dead to me.

Andi

Anakalia

  • Guest
Re: Poinsettia plants dangerous?? Fact or Myth??
« Reply #9 on: December 08, 2005, 01:02:01 pm »
Brandon concurs on the Easter Lilly (Yes, I called him at work to ask about your plant! lol).  He said that if you want it to grow back super big next year, cut the stalks down to the soil and cover the soil with about 2" of mulch to keep moisture in.  You can use mulch mulch, leaves, straw, whatever. 

In the spring, remove the mulch, fertilize, water, and you should have a rockin' plant!
 

OMG!!  I can't belelive you called him at work to ask about my dead plant!! HAHAHAHAHAHAHA A!!  That's just too funny.  I can try that, but I'm tellin' ya it looks very dead.  I'm going to take a pic and I'll post so you can see how dead it really is!  Maybe when Brandon gets home from work he can take a look at the dead plant pic and then he can assess the damage I have done! lol



Andi

Offline VdogLover

  • Paw-meister
  • **
  • Posts: 584
    • View Profile
Re: Poinsettia plants dangerous?? Fact or Myth??
« Reply #10 on: December 08, 2005, 01:25:51 pm »
Thanks... My plants are up out of the dogs reach anyway but I was always had that little "What if".....I'm off to buy some today.

Offline newflvr

  • Tail Wagging Champ
  • *****
  • Posts: 3390
  • Cowboy is four years old and Chester is almost two
    • View Profile
Re: Poinsettia plants dangerous?? Fact or Myth??
« Reply #11 on: December 08, 2005, 11:26:58 pm »
I can try that, but I'm tellin' ya it looks very dead.  I'm going to take a pic and I'll post so you can see how dead it really is!

It's SUPPOSED to look like that at this time of year...and that's right: cut the living patooties out of it...right down to the ground.   The top IS dead.  But the bulb underneath is just sleeping peacefully.  That's why you put it in a cool dark place, and with mulch, if you can find it.   It will come back....that's why they are called EASTER lilies...cuz they come back after they are supposedly dead.   ;)

Anakalia

  • Guest
Re: Poinsettia plants dangerous?? Fact or Myth??
« Reply #12 on: December 09, 2005, 12:54:17 am »
I can try that, but I'm tellin' ya it looks very dead.  I'm going to take a pic and I'll post so you can see how dead it really is!

It's SUPPOSED to look like that at this time of year...and that's right: cut the living patooties out of it...right down to the ground.   The top IS dead.  But the bulb underneath is just sleeping peacefully.  That's why you put it in a cool dark place, and with mulch, if you can find it.   It will come back....that's why they are called EASTER lilies...cuz they come back after they are supposedly dead.   ;)

OK I gotcha!!  I'll cut EVERYTHING off!! lol  I had a HUGE fight with the SO this evening....no I'm not exagerating it was an all out fight because he want's to throw it in the garbage!! He said I killed it and had to use very harsh words and a raised voice! (Totally stupid I might add!)  I said NO it's not really dead, very smart people told me so!!  Well he's the type that only HE's right and since he says it's dead - IT'S DEAD!!  So I'm going to have to hide it if I don't want it thrown away.   :)

And tomorrow I'm off to find Silk Poinsetta's! LOL  I love the looks of them for the Holiday season and this way I don't have to worry about watering them, and after the season is over I'll put them in storage for next year!! lol  ;D

Andi