Poinsettia poison is seasonal humbug

MILFORD — “I’d love to have one of these poinsettias at home, but I can’t; my dog would eat it,” crooned a disappointed shopper recently at Milford’s, Myer the Florist shop. Owner Tom Stewart corrected her, but he admits getting the story straight is a difficult task. “People have been telling each other that poinsettias are poisonous for years, but there’s no truth to it. It’s an urban legend,” he said, offering to chew a leaf for the skeptical press. “I think it may be the name, which sounds like it might have the word ‘poison’ in its root somewhere. Actually the name comes from the originator. Poinsettias were first introduced to the United States in 1825 by Joel Robert Poinsett, amateur botanist and first ambassador to Mexico. The plant grows wild there. He introduced the plant to the United States when he brought some cuttings to his plantation in Greenwood, S.C. According to the Society of American Florists (www.aboutflowers.com) scientific research at Ohio State University has proved the poinsettia to be non-toxic to both humans and pets. All parts of the plant were tested, including the leaves and sap. Stewart said that taken in large quantities, some people may be allergic to the latex sap. “Of course, eating almost any plant in large quantities can make a person ill,” he added. Traditionally, the poinsettia was a red crown on a green plant, that only bloomed for a few days. Hybridization has changed things dramatically. “When my in-laws began the business in 1950, they felt they were successful if they could get three or four days bloom around Christmas. Today, there is a variety of colors and they’ll hold their color into March,” he said. Stewart said shoppers can expect to pay $7.50 to $35 for a good plant, depending on its size and condition. He said healthy plants usually are staked to keep their shape. Plants that have been “sleeved,” as many big-box store plants are, have been smothered since the undersides of the leaves have gone without oxygen. Another issue with big-box store plants is that they’re forced to bloom early. “They want people to see them and get in the holiday shopping mood,” he said. Stewart said starting poinsettias were one of the first jobs he had when joined the business and they remain a special favorite. He has a good deal of greenhouse space devoted to rainbow of poinsettia colors, in early, middle and late varieties. “People are welcome to come in and watch them change colors,” he said. To learn more, call him at 570-296-6468.