Posts Tagged ‘winter color’
Fact or Fiction – Are Poinsettia Plants Poisonous?
Saturday, December 10th, 2011
Myths and rumors about the toxicity of the poinsettia plant are common when the popular red-leaved plants take center stage in holiday decorations. While the genus (Euphorbia) to which the poinsettia plant belongs does contain some highly toxic plants, the popular poinsettia itself is not toxic.
Some sources attribute the rumor about the dangers of poinsettia leaves to a case of poisoning in 1919 that led to the death of a two year-old child. At the time, the cause of the poisoning was incorrectly determined to be a poinsettia leaf.
According to the POISINDEX information source – the primary resource used by the majority of poison control centers nationwide – a child who weighed 50 lbs. would have to eat over 500 poinsettia leaves to reach an even potentially toxic dose of compounds in the poinsettia plant. Doctors at the Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh and the Pittsburgh Poison Center conducted a review of 22,793 reported cases of poinsettia exposures, the majority (93%) of which occurred in children, and found that 92% of those exposed did not develop any symptoms at all. Ninety-six per cent of those exposed were not even treated in a health care facility. Furthermore, no deaths resulting from poinsettia ingestion have ever been documented.
Even though accidental ingestion of poinsettia leaves will not damage your body or kill you, it may lead to nausea and vomiting in some cases. Since the taste of poinsettia leaves is reportedly very unpleasant, it is unlikely that a child or animal who attempts to eat or chew the leaves will continue to do so after the first taste.
While ingestion of house plants is never a good idea (some popular plants can be extremely dangerous when eaten) parents of young children can be assured that the poinsettia plant is not a dangerous risk in the home.
-By Maggie Oldfield Thayer Nursery
Don’t let winter get you down – Grow Indoors!
Saturday, November 14th, 2009
As the seasons change, indoor gardening is just what we need to keep our green thumbs green and growing. Planting flowering bulbs indoors is a fun and easy way to grow something during the winter. Paperwhites and bulbs are the easiest to bloom indoors since neither has to be forced.
Paperwhites will produce fragrant white blooms will appear within 3 to 4 weeks of planting. Once the blossoms turn brown, remove the bulbs and throw them away. Paperwhites can not be saved for re-blooming. Make sure you pick up a good supply of them now and plant every 2 to 3 weeks to have a continuous supply through out the winter. Amaryllis bulbs take a little longer to bloom, so allow about 8 weeks of growing time until bloom. Large flowers with a variety of shades of red, white, pink and orange make the Amaryllis a popular and easy choice for indoor gardening.
If you want something more permanent, you can simply add some green plants to brighten your home for winter. Indoor gardens transform ordinary rooms into vibrant living spaces. House Plants do more than just brighten up a room with color and living energy, they bring real health benefits to your body. Not only do headaches, stress and colds decrease when indoor plants are present but decorating a room with plants can help to keep the air clean.
We have plants for corners and table tops as well as hangers for your windows. Lush colors and textures will add some magic to a drab interior space this winter.
-By Maggie Oldfield Thayer Nursery
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