Despite persistent rumors to the contrary, poinsettias are not poisonous, and munching on the occasional poinsettia leaf won't kill your pet. According to the American Association For the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) Poison Control web page, eating poinsettias will probably produce gastrointestinal tract irritation, but no serious symptoms. If your pet is elderly, ill or very young, take extra precautions, but with some prudent placement, poinsettias can brighten up even a pet owner's home.
Picking a Poinsettia
Look for plants with vivid, dark green foliage and fully colored flowers. Well-balanced plants are the best choice. To be sure your prospective plant doesn't have any gaps, view it from all sides before you buy. Ideally, a poinsettia should be twice as tall as the container it comes in. If possible, try to find plants with young flowers. You can distinguish them by the small margin of green on the tips of the bracts (flowers). Younger flowers will look better longer.
Caring for a Poinsettia
Always check that the pot your poinsettia comes in has a drainage hole, and make sure that any decorative paper is removed when you get it home to allow water to drain away from a plant. Never let your poinsettia to sit in water. Position the plant so that it is protected from heat sources like vents and Christmas tree lights as well as cold drafts coming from exterior doors. Check your plant every two to three days, and water it when the surface of the soil is dry. Place your poinsettia in an eastern facing window, or one that gets adequate morning light, but is protected from harsh afternoon light.
Trim your poinsettia back after the holidays to about six inches tall, and repot it in early summer. In order to keep the plant symmetrical, rotate it often so that all sides of the plant are exposed evenly to a bright but not hot light source. To encourage branching, pinch the plant back about half an inch every three weeks or so. Keep the plant well fertilized throughout the summer with a balanced liquid fertilizer.
Getting a Poinsettia to Bloom Year after Year
Poinsettias are sensitive to how much light and dark they receive over the fall months. They use this to determine when to flower. In order for poinsettias to flower out, they need 12 hours of total darkness each day from the beginning of October onward. Without a cycle of 12 to 14 hours of darkness followed by 10 to 12 hours of bright light each day, a poinsettia will not bloom. One useful method for in creating this light and dark cycle is to install grow lights, on a timer, in a windowless closet. Water the plant during the daylight hours, and let nature do the rest. Of course, to make embarking on this program worthwhile, you might want to buy a few more poinsettias, but what's the harm in that?
If you're still concerned about what the white, milky substance that comes from the stems of the poinsettia might do to your pet? After an accidental taste, your friendly feline or puppy will be leaving that plant alone. It isn't an appealing flavor (but poinsettias are not poisonous), and that means a beautiful crop of bright flowers for Christmas at your house.
If you've been afraid to buy poinsettias, you'll be surprised when you see all of the new varieties, from almost white to deep plum, with many variegated choices thrown in. Whichever you choose, enjoy the Flor de Nochebuena or Christmas flower, both other names for the festive poinsettia.
S. Elliott - S. Elliott is a professional freelance writer with over 1,000 published articles on the web.
