Poisonous Christmas plants

The answer is the poinsettia. Contrary to popular and persistent belief, poinsettias are not toxic. Mistletoe and holly berries are poisonous, however.

If your toddler munches on poinsettias, don't panic; poinsettias are not toxic. In fact, one study done 25 years ago at Ohio State showed that a child could eat 500 to 600 poinsettias leaves and not show signs of poisoning. (How that study was performed is a story in itself. Researchers used rats.)

As for toxic plants, when hanging up decorations this holiday season understand that berries on mistletoe, Christmas holly, ivy, and Jerusalem cherry are all poisonous. Those little berries look tasty to little kids (even though they reportedly taste terrible). Obviously, position those plants far away from children, and if a child manages to ingest any part of them, contact your doctor or poison control center.

One more tip: even the Christmas tree can pose a choking hazard, if a youngster gets a needle in his mouth.

Resources

If you think your child has eaten a poisonous plant, you may dial this number nationwide: 1-800-222-1222. The poison control center for Indiana is located in Indianapolis. For other areas, check the poison control locations map supplied by American Association of Poison Control Centers.