When foil-wrapped poinsettias start to appear at the entrances of grocery stores and near the prosceniums of churches, you know the Christmas season has arrived. The plant’s beautiful red and green leaves are ever-present in holiday tiableaux. This emblem of the season often comes with a warning: be careful with the plant if you have small children or pets. A persistent misconception is that consuming the colorful leaves can be fatal. The truth is, the poinsettia is only a mild irritant. Eating its leaves can result in a rash, vomiting, or diarrhea, but rarely anything worse. Poinsettia has a long, rich history in Central America and Mexico. The Aztecs knew it as cuetlaxōchitl and used its vivid leaves to make dye. They also believed the sap had…
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