For years, you’ve probably heard that poinsettias are poisonous to pets and children. I, for one, believed it–there are all kinds of plants that are toxic to animals and humans, so it just seemed to make sense.

It turns out, however, that the idea that poinsettias could ever hurt you or your pets is entirely false! There has never been a documented case of poinsettias actually killing or poisoning any human or animal. Of course, if you ate a lot of poinsettia leaves, bracts (what we call flowers) or stems, you would probably get a stomach ache…but you’ll get a stomach ache if you eat too many cherries, too, and we sure don’t call them poisonous!

If worries about poinsettias being toxic to you or your pets have kept you away from the seasonal flower, we encourage you to give it a second look–after all, nothing says Christmas like a beautiful red poinsettia on the kitchen table!