Are Poinsettias Poisonous? 5 Christmas Plant Facts!

Poinsettias are a beautiful flowering plant that people commonly associate with Christmas and give to each other during the holiday season. Though sometimes mistaken for flowers, the bright red or white parts of poinsettias are actually leaves, known as "bracts." If you're interested in learning more about these fascinating flowers, here are five fun facts about the Christmas plant:  

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1. Are Poinsettias Poisonous?

A common misconception about poinsettias is that they're poisonous to young children or pets, but that's actually not true at all. The rumor is largely based on the plant's milky sap, which has been known to irritate people's skin, especially if they have a latex allergy. Poinsettias are part of the Euphorbiaceae family of plants, many of which release a similar sap, but rest assured, parents – studies have shown that it isn't poisonous at all. Poinsettias shouldn't be eaten, though, because they'll likely cause an upset stomach, so do your best to keep them away from young children and pets anyway.

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2. National Poinsettia Day

The U.S. has been celebrating National Poinsettia Day on Dec. 12 since the mid-1800s​, after the plant's namesake, Joel Roberts Poinsett, died in 1851. Poinsett was a botanist who brought the plant into the U.S. for the first time in 1928 after discovering it in Mexico. Mexicans have been using the plant for centuries – in fact, the Aztecs used the red leaves to dye their clothes! When Poinsett discovered the plant by a road in Texas, he was so interested in it that he sent cuttings of its leaves back to his plantation in South Carolina for further study. He then began to breed it in his greenhouse. 

3. Why is the Poinsettia Popular around Christmastime?

There are a few different theories for why the plant is so widely associated with Christmas, but the most popular is based on an old Mexican legend. The legend tells the story of a young girl who couldn't afford to buy Jesus a birthday gift, so she picked a bouquet of weeds from the ground and laid them next to a nativity scene. As soon as she set them down, the weeds burst into beautiful red flowers. Poinsettias are also thought to symbolize the blood and purity of Christ, along with the Star of Bethlehem.

4. Poinsettias Have Many Nicknames

Poinsettias have garnered many nicknames over the years. In Mexico, the flowers are known as "la flor de la nochebuena," which translates to "flower of the holy night." Chileans and Peruvians refer to the plant as"the Crown of the Andes," and Americans have been known to call them lobster or flame-leaf flowers based on their color.

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5. They Make Great Gifts

Poinsettias are the number 1 best-selling potted flowering plant in the U.S., with red poinsettias far outselling white and other varieties. Not surprisingly, the majority of the plant's abundant sales happen during the six weeks before Christmas. Give Fruit and Poinsettia Gift Basket as a Christmas gift this year, or decorate your own home with Teleflora's Holiday Homecoming Basket, both of which feature beautiful red poinsettias.

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Horn of Plenty: DIY Guide for Fall Crafting

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 A cornucopia, also known in many regions as a "horn of plenty," is a beautiful and traditional decoration that you can easily make yourself. Cornucopias actually originated well before Thanksgiving: In ancient Greek folklore, the horn was thought to be broken from the head of a magical goat and enchanted to fill with whatever bounty the goat wanted. Now cornucopias symbolize good fortune and prosperity, and they are commonly used as Thanksgiving decor. Here's a quick guide for making your own horn of plenty:

Make the Horn

You can find wicker cornucopias at craft stores, but if you'd rather make the horn yourself, you can easily fashion one out of chicken wire and burlap. Forming the pointed end first, roll the chicken wire into the horn shape and attach both sides by twisting the wires together. Bend the horn slightly so that it almost resembles a crescent shape. Cut the burlap into strips and wrap it around the outside of the horn, then cover the inside with burlap as well - you can use hot glue or craft glue to keep it in place. Some people prefer to wrap the cornucopia completely in rope for a rustic effect, but you can also string twine around the horn, leaving plenty of space between for the burlap to show through.

Fill the Horn

Cornucopias are typically filled with fruits, vegetables and wheat. For presentation, first lay down a bed of wheat stalks that stick out significantly from the horn's mouth. For a sturdier presentation, first tie the stalks into bundles, and use a little bit of glue to keep them in place. Then fill the horn with colorful fruits and vegetables of your choosing. Cornucopias are commonly filled with apples, pears, gourds and small pumpkins.

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Add a Touch of Beauty

The vibrant produce that overflows from cornucopias shows how beautiful nature is, and dressing your horn up with flowers is a great way to complement that beauty. Some pretty autumn flowers you can add to your arrangement are sunflowers, gerbera daisies and mums. Add plenty of flowers for a bouquet effect, or simply include a handful of flowers here and there as pretty accents.

Teleflora's Classic Cornucopia arrangement is a lovely example of a horn of plenty, great for using in your own Thanksgiving decor or giving as a gift. 

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5 Thanksgiving Centerpiece Ideas Using Fall Flowers

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5 Thanksgiving Centerpiece Ideas Using Fall Flowers

Thanksgiving tables are always bedecked with the most gorgeous and scrumptious food, so sometimes it's a little difficult to come up with a centerpiece that measures up to the decadence. Incorporating fall flowers into your centerpiece is a great way to create a rustic and seasonal look that you'll love showing off to your family and friends.

Here are five ideas for making an amazing tabletop Thanksgiving centerpiece using fall flowers:

A Rustic Box

  For a centerpiece that nobody will have seen before, repurpose a vintage-looking wooden box or a rustic window planter as table decor. Fill the box with short vases of varying flowers, surrounded by pine cones and acorns. For a country-looking fall arrangement, try using bright aster and helenium interspersed with sprigs of goldenrod and colorful leaves. If you don't have a box, making one is easy, or you can use a pretty basket instead!

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A Different Container

  Your flowers don't have to be arranged in a vase - put them in a pretty pitcher or a ceramic serving bowl for a centerpiece that fits in perfectly with the beautiful food on the table. Pick a pitcher or bowl in fall colors, and fill it with brightly colored mums, roses and sprays of Russian sage. Teleflora's Blaze of Beauty Bouquet and Tuscan Autumn Centerpiece both come with hand-glazed ceramic containers that you can reuse to serve food or drinks, and are full of gorgeous fall arrangements. Use one on your table or send one as a gift!

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Pretty Pumpkins

  Pumpkins and other gourds are the perfect autumn decorations because they're both pretty and seasonal. You can use miniature pumpkins in your centerpieces in many ways - scatter them across the table or even hollow one out and use it as a vase. A large hollow pumpkin full of sunflowers would make a show-stopping centerpiece, and guests will love the creativity. Teleflora's Country Pumpkin decoration comes with gerberas, mums and daisies, among other colorful accents, filling a charming pumpkin container that you can easily reuse in the future.

A Flowery Cornucopia

  Traditional cornucopias are full of fruits, vegetables and gourds to signify prosperity, but the inclusion of fall flowers will make any cornucopia pop that much more. Buy or make a cornucopia and fill it with various flowers and plants, like stalks of wheat, perennial sunflowers, crocuses and more, to make it look like you've just gone flower picking in the meadow. Teleflora's Classic Cornucopia is a ready-made centerpiece that uses sunflowers, pink roses and other flowers in a beautiful arrangement. Buy it for your Thanksgiving table or even to keep on a side table or wide windowsill for season-long decor.

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A Kid-Friendly Centerpiece

  For a kid-friendly centerpiece, incorporate a cute character into your flower arrangement. Make a turkey using a large pinecone by fanning colorful leaves in the shape of tail feathers around the wider end of the cone and attaching them with glue. Then fashion a head and neck out of construction paper, glue them on the other side of the cone, and place the turkey in a bowl of pinecones, acorns and mums. Or buy Teleflora's Smiling Scarecrow Bouquet, which comes with a cute scarecrow figurine sticking out of a basket of sunflowers, roses and alstroemeria.

AUTHOR:
This article is brought to you by Michelle Farrell and published by Teleflora.