Claim:  It’s common around Christmas time for people to warn one another             about the alleged toxicity of poinsettias.    
Verdict: REFUTES

Retrieved passages:
title: Poinsettia
text: in the growth of axillary buds is credited to Ing-Ming Lee of the USDA Agricultural Research Service. Poinsettias are susceptible to several diseases, mostly fungal, but also bacterial and parasitic. In the United States and perhaps elsewhere, there is a common misconception that the poinsettia is highly toxic. This misconception was spread by a 1919 urban legend of a two-year-old child dying after consuming a poinsettia leaf. While the sap and latex of many plants of the spurge genus are indeed toxic, the poinsettia's toxicity is relatively mild. Its latex can cause an allergic reaction in sensitive individuals. It is

title: Poinsettia
text: also mildly irritating to the skin or stomach and may sometimes cause diarrhea and vomiting if eaten. Sap introduced into the human eye may cause temporary blindness. An "American Journal of Emergency Medicine" study of 22,793 cases reported to the American Association of Poison Control Centers showed no fatalities, and furthermore that a strong majority of poinsettia exposures are accidental, involve children, and usually do not result in any type of medical treatment. POISINDEX, a major source for poison control centers, says a child would have to eat 500 bracts (poinsettia leaves) to accumulate levels of toxins found to be

title: Poinsettia
text: harmful in experiments. An Ohio State University study showed no problems even with extremely large doses. Poinsettia The poinsettia ( or ) ("Euphorbia pulcherrima") (also known as "Christmas Star") is a commercially important plant species of the diverse spurge family (Euphorbiaceae). The species is indigenous to Mexico. It is particularly well known for its red and green foliage and is widely used in Christmas floral displays. It derives its common English name from Joel Roberts Poinsett, the first United States Minister to Mexico, who introduced the plant to the US in 1825. "Euphorbia pulcherrima" is a shrub or small tree,

title: Poinsettia
text: a gift for the celebration of Jesus' birthday and was inspired by an angel to gather weeds from the roadside and place them in front of the church altar. Crimson blossoms sprouted from the weeds and became poinsettias. From the 17th century, Franciscan friars in Mexico included the plants in their Christmas celebrations. The star-shaped leaf pattern is said to symbolize the Star of Bethlehem, and the red color represents the blood sacrifice through the crucifixion of Jesus. Poinsettias are popular Christmas decorations in homes, churches, offices, and elsewhere across North America. They are available in large numbers from grocery,

title: Christmas flowers
text: Christmas flowers Christmas flowers are the popular flowers used during the festive season of Christmas. In many nations, seasonal flowers and plants such as Poinsettia, Christmas cactus, holly, Christmas rose, ivy and mistletoe form a major part of traditional Christmas decoration. The ancient Aztecs (ruling tribe in central Mexico at the time of contact with Europe) prized the poinsettia as a symbol of purity. Centuries later, Mexico's early Christians adopted the poinsettia as their prized Christmas Eve flower. The Mexican poinsettia, known as the Christmas Flower in North America, is used in most Christmas decorations, owing to its bright red

title: Poinsettia
text: Poinsettia The poinsettia ( or ) ("Euphorbia pulcherrima") (also known as "Christmas Star") is a commercially important plant species of the diverse spurge family (Euphorbiaceae). The species is indigenous to Mexico. It is particularly well known for its red and green foliage and is widely used in Christmas floral displays. It derives its common English name from Joel Roberts Poinsett, the first United States Minister to Mexico, who introduced the plant to the US in 1825. "Euphorbia pulcherrima" is a shrub or small tree, typically reaching a height of . The plant bears dark green dentate leaves that measure in

title: Christmas
text: more widespread throughout Britain. By the 1870s, people in the United States had adopted the custom of putting up a Christmas tree. Christmas trees may be decorated with lights and ornaments. Since the 16th century, the poinsettia, a native plant from Mexico, has been associated with Christmas carrying the Christian symbolism of the Star of Bethlehem; in that country it is known in Spanish as the "Flower of the Holy Night". Other popular holiday plants include holly, mistletoe, red amaryllis, and Christmas cactus. Along with a Christmas tree, the interior of a home may be decorated with these plants, along

title: Christmas in Mexico
text: as items such as Christmas trees, ornaments / electric light and even reindeer figures. Starting in December, many homes, businesses and other buildings are decorated with poinsettias, which are called "noche buena" (from the Spanish phrase that means "good night" referring to Christmas Eve) . Mexico is the origin of the poinsettia. In the pre-Hispanic period, they were called cuetlaxochitl, and a favorite in the mid winter when they were a symbol of the new life that they believed that fallen warriors received, returning as hummingbirds and butterflies to drink the nectar. A modern Mexican legend says that the poinsettia

title: Christmas flowers
text: from tropical regions of Asia, cultivated "Serissa" often blooms during the winter. On the occasion of Christmas Eve, it is traditional for young women in North America to exchange specially designed Christmas roses with each other resembling their spirit of fraternity. Another plant known as Christmas rose is Helleborus niger. In New Zealand, the pōhutukawa tree is often associated with Christmas, as its bright red flowers usually appear in December. Holly is the plant most associated with Christmas in many European countries. Holly wreaths are hung on doors, and sprigs of holly used to trim Christmas puddings. Like most of

title: Ardisia crenata
text: about 0.25 inches in diameter that remain on the plant throughout the year. The berry clusters often sag down below the glossy foliage. Berries are dispersed by birds and, when present, raccoons through consumption and subsequent excretion and also by water flow. While there are indications the plant may be poisonous to livestock, pets and humans, due to cattle deaths in Florida, there is no scientific confirmation of this. Christmas berry is an invasive species in the southeastern United States, escaping captivity in wooded areas of Florida in 1982. The invasive cultivar in this region is originally from Japan. Its

title: Poinsettia
text: drug, and hardware stores. In the United States, December 12 is National Poinsettia Day. Albert Ecke emigrated from Germany to Los Angeles in 1900, opening a dairy and orchard in the Eagle Rock area. He became intrigued by the plant and sold them from street stands. His son, Paul Ecke, developed the grafting technique, but it was the third generation of Eckes, Paul Ecke Jr., who was responsible for advancing the association between the plant and Christmas. Besides changing the market from mature plants shipped by rail to cuttings sent by air, he sent free plants to television stations for

title: Poinsettia
text: by bright sunny days for around two months in autumn in order to encourage it to develop colored bracts. Any incidental light during these nights (from a nearby television set, from under a door frame, even from passing cars or street lights) hampers bract production. Commercial production of poinsettia has been done by placing them inside a greenhouse and covering the latter completely to imitate the natural biological situation. To produce extra axillary buds that are necessary for plants containing multiple flowers, a phytoplasma infection—whose symptoms include the proliferation of axillary buds—is used. The discovery of the role phytoplasmas play

title: Helleborus niger
text: can cause burning of the eyes, mouth and throat, oral ulceration, gastroenteritis and hematemesis. "Helleborus niger" is commonly called the Christmas rose, due to an old legend that it sprouted in the snow from the tears of a young girl who had no gift to give the Christ child in Bethlehem. One subspecies blooms at the abbey in England believed by some to have been established by St. Thomas. There is a source that claims it blooms near the new calendar date of 6 January. This date had been Christmas Day under the old Julian calendar. So when Christmas Day

title: Christmas decoration
text: bells. A bow is usually used at the top or bottom, and an electric or unlit candle may be placed in the middle. Christmas lights are often used, and they may be hung from door or windows, and sometimes walls, lampposts and light fixtures, or even statuary. Since the 19th century, the poinsettia, a native plant from Mexico, has been associated with Christmas. In North and South America, Australia, and Europe, it is traditional to decorate the outside of houses with lights and sometimes with illuminated sleighs, snowmen, and other Christmas figures. Municipalities often sponsor decorations as well. Christmas banners

title: Kalmia latifolia
text: and humans, due to grayanotoxin and arbutin. The green parts of the plant, flowers, twigs, and pollen are all toxic, including food products made from them, such as toxic honey that may produce neurotoxic and gastrointestinal symptoms in humans eating more than a modest amount. Symptoms of toxicity begin to appear about 6 hours following ingestion. Symptoms include irregular or difficulty breathing, anorexia, repeated swallowing, profuse salivation, watering of the eyes and nose, cardiac distress, incoordination, depression, vomiting, frequent defecation, weakness, convulsions, paralysis, coma, and eventually death. Necropsy of animals who have died from spoonwood poisoning show gastrointestinal hemorrhage. The

title: Poinsettia
text: language of the Aztecs, the plant is called "Cuitlaxochitl", meaning "flower that grows in residues or soil" Today it is known in Mexico and Guatemala as Flor de Nochebuena, meaning Christmas Eve Flower. In Spain it is known as Flor de Pascua or Pascua, meaning Easter flower. In Chile and Peru, the plant became known as Crown of the Andes. In Hungarian, it is called , and is widely used as a Christmas decoration. The plant's association with Christmas began in 16th-century Mexico, where legend tells of a girl, commonly called Pepita or Maria, who was too poor to provide

title: Christmas flowers
text: color and its blooming season coinciding with the Christmas holiday season. However, florist dye them in common colors or even add shimmers to make them much more visually engaging during Christmas. Christmas cactus, also known as orchid cactus, often blooms around Christmas time. Pendulous stems of Christmas cactus make it a great choice for hanging baskets. There are a number of different cactus species sold as "Christmas cactus." One plant called Christmas rose is regarded as a true Christmas flower in certain parts of the world. Christmas rose "(Serissa)" is also known as the "snow rose" or "winter rose." Originally

title: Kūčios
text: world according to pagan beliefs . These include fir boughs, candles, and a bundle of unthreshed rye, which pagan families would traditionally bind around their apple trees the next day. Live flowers are not appropriate for the table, in particular the red or white poinsettias that are so common in other countries during the Christmas season. Dinner starts when the first star appears in the sky. (This tradition is no longer common). Waiting for the star to appear in the sky symbolizes the Star of Bethlehem leading the shepherds to Bethlehem. Instead of a town, the star leads the members

title: Christmas plants
text: Christmas plants Christmas plants are various flowers or vegetation from garden plants associated with the festive season of Christmas. There are many different plants used around the world during Christmas. Beyond Christmas flowers, there are also Christmas foods, and Christmas drinks, that use traditional plants. There are also a wide variety of plants that include "Christmas" in their common name. Logs specifically are used in the following Christmas traditions: Other plants used in Christmas celebration: Christmas cactus, also known as orchid cactus, often blooms around Christmas time. There are a number of different cactus species sold as "Christmas cactus" including

title: Nertera granadensis
text: flower. When the berries begin to die (turn black) they should be carefully removed. The plant possesses brightly colored fruit, and likely offers visual appeal to young children and pets. Fortunately, the toxicity of "Nertera granadensis" appears to be quite low, and there are no known toxins associated with the particular parts of the plant. One study noted that of 21 children known to have ingested the plant, only five showed mild symptoms associated with poisoning, such as tiredness, stomach pains, and vomiting. In addition, a -year-old child ingested 20 of the "Nertera granadensis" berries with no visible ill effects.