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Poinsettia: toxicity, first aid and care
Poinsettia (Euphorbia pulcherrima): irritant for cats, irritant for dogs, irritant for small children. The toxic principle, the signs, what to do, and how to grow it.
Cats: IrritantDogs: IrritantChildren: Irritant
Also sold as: Christmas star, jõulutäht, joulutähti.
This is a reference table, not a diagnosis and not veterinary or medical advice. It cannot tell you how much of a plant matters for a particular child or a particular animal — that depends on body weight, on the part eaten and on how long ago. If a person or an animal has eaten part of a plant, phone the poison information centre or a clinician; do not wait for symptoms, and do not make anyone vomit unless you are told to.
What is in it
Toxic principle: Mildly irritant milky latex — Caustic and irritant latex.
The famous one, and famous for the wrong reason. Poinsettia is a euphorbia, so it bleeds latex, and that latex irritates skin and mouth — but only mildly. The story that it kills children traces to a single unverified anecdote from 1919 and has never been supported since.
What it looks like when it goes wrong
Mild drooling, occasional vomiting, a bit of mouth or skin irritation. Signs settle on their own within hours. A large retrospective review of nearly 23,000 poinsettia exposures reported to poison centres in the United States, published in the American Journal of Emergency Medicine in 1996, found no fatalities, with the overwhelming majority requiring no treatment at all.
What to do
Rinse the mouth, wash sap from skin, and carry on. Phone the poison centre or a veterinary clinic for reassurance if you want it, but this is not the plant to lose an evening over — if you are worried about a Christmas plant with a pet, the amaryllis bulb and the pot azalea deserve more of your attention.
| Country | Poison information centre | Number | Hours |
|---|---|---|---|
| Estonia | Mürgistusteabekeskus (Health Board) | 16662 | Round the clock; 112 for an emergency |
| Finland | Myrkytystietokeskus (HUS) | 0800 147 111 | Free, round the clock |
| Latvia | Saindēšanās un zāļu informācijas centrs | 67042473 | Round the clock |
| Sweden | Giftinformationscentralen | 010-456 67 00 | Non-urgent advice; 112 in an emergency |
| Norway | Giftinformasjonen | 22 59 13 00 | Round the clock |
| Denmark | Giftlinjen (Bispebjerg Hospital) | 82 12 12 12 | Round the clock |
Anywhere in the European Union, 112 reaches emergency services and can put you through. Lithuania's poison information bureau (Apsinuodijimų kontrolės ir informacijos biuras) publishes its own round-the-clock line; if you do not have it to hand, use 112. For an animal, your own veterinary clinic or its out-of-hours service is the first call — human poison centres do not advise on animals in every country.
How to grow it
| Condition | What it wants |
|---|---|
| Light | Bright light, no direct midday sun |
| Water | Water when the surface dries; it hates sitting wet or cold |
| Temperature | 15-22 °C, and it detests draughts and cold shop doorways |
Most poinsettias die of the journey home: a few minutes in a freezing car wrecks them, so insist on a sleeve. Indoors, keep them out of draughts and never let the pot stand in water. To colour up again next winter they need long uninterrupted nights from late September — fourteen hours of total darkness a day for around eight weeks — because the red bracts are triggered by day length, not by feeding.
What it gets confused with
The red parts are bracts, not petals; the actual flowers are the small yellow structures in the middle. And the myth cuts both ways — "harmless" does not mean edible, and the latex will still sting an eye.
A plant that is not on the toxic lists
If you are deciding what to keep in a home with a cat, a dog or a small child, this one fills a similar role and is not flagged by the veterinary services.
Others that work the same way
Caustic and irritant latex — these behave alike, and what you would do about them is alike too.
Pencil cactus and crown of thorns
Diterpene esters in the milky latex
Weeping fig and rubber plant
Milky latex containing ficin and related irritants
Source: ASPCA Animal Poison Control — toxic and non-toxic plants · checked 2026-09-06
Care guidance is standard horticultural practice for a cool-temperate northern climate. Poison-centre numbers are listed on the hub page and are worth confirming against your own country's health service.
Frequently asked questions
Is poinsettia toxic to cats?
The veterinary lists rate it "irritant" for cats and "irritant" for dogs. The toxic principle is mildly irritant milky latex. The famous one, and famous for the wrong reason. Poinsettia is a euphorbia, so it bleeds latex, and that latex irritates skin and mouth — but only mildly.
What should I do if my dog eats poinsettia?
Rinse the mouth, wash sap from skin, and carry on. Phone the poison centre or a veterinary clinic for reassurance if you want it, but this is not the plant to lose an evening over — if you are worried about a Christmas plant with a pet, the amaryllis bulb and the pot azalea deserve more of your attention.
Is poinsettia dangerous for a small child?
The verdict for a child who chews or swallows part of it is "irritant". Mild drooling, occasional vomiting, a bit of mouth or skin irritation. Signs settle on their own within hours.
How do you care for poinsettia?
Light: Bright light, no direct midday sun. Water: Water when the surface dries; it hates sitting wet or cold. Temperature: 15-22 °C, and it detests draughts and cold shop doorways. Most poinsettias die of the journey home: a few minutes in a freezing car wrecks them, so insist on a sleeve.
What is poinsettia confused with?
The red parts are bracts, not petals; the actual flowers are the small yellow structures in the middle. And the myth cuts both ways — "harmless" does not mean edible, and the latex will still sting an eye.
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