Poinsettias are widely used in festive decorations, but many fear that this ‘toxic’ plant could harm unsuspecting children and pets. Even though public health officials have reported that poinsettias are safe, many people still think poinsettias are poisonous. The largest study of poinsettia ‘toxicity’ to date involved an analysis of 849,575 plant exposures reported to the American Association of Poison Control Centers. None of the 22,793 poinsettia cases revealed significant poisoning. No one died from touching or eating poinsettias, and more than 96 per cent did not even require treatment in a healthcare facility. In 92 of the cases, children ate large amounts of poinsettias, but none needed medical therapy. In one study that looked at the effects of eating poinsettias on rats, the rats could eat massive amounts of poinsettia without being poisoned; they could even ingest doses that would be the same as a person eating 500–600 poinsettia leaves or 680 grams of poinsettia sap. The ‘toxic’ poinsettia is a myth. While you should always seek medical advice if someone eats a plant, you probably won’t even need to see a doctor if you eat a poinsettia.