Are Poinsettia Plants Poisonous?

In spite of their reputation, poinsettias are not considered poisonous – there have been no confirmed fatalities from ingesting this plant.

However Euphorbia pulcherrima, aka “Christmas flower,” is far from edible. Just because it’s not deadly doesn’t mean it’s safe to eat.

The sap contains low levels of toxic substances that may cause some unpleasant gastrointestinal side effects if ingested, and exposure to the plant may be of even greater concern to individuals with sensitivities and allergies, particularly those with latex allergy.

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This holiday plant’s reputation as highly poisonous is somewhat of a myth, but one that has taken a firm hold and won’t seem to loosen its grip.

So that you can re-evaluate your concern about the safety of this festive plant, I’m going to take you back to the origins of this myth, clear up some confusion on poinsettia’s safety as a houseplant, and let you know under what circumstances you should be concerned.

Here’s what I’m going to cover:

So if this holiday houseplant isn’t poisonous after all, where did its bad reputation come from?

The source of this floral myth is over a hundred years old. In 1919, a child in Hawaii was thought to have died after eating – or maybe just chewing on – a single poinsettia leaf.

This anecdote was cited as fact by author Harry L. Arnold, MD, in his book “Poisonous Plants of Hawaii,” published in 1944.

Arnold wrote:

“The milky juice and the leaves are poisonous. The two-year-old child of an Army officer at Fort Shafter died from eating a poinsettia leaf in 1919.”

Arnold went on to explain that