SAF urges IGCs, greenhouses to dispel the poinsettia toxicity myth
The poinsettia is the most widely tested plant and has been proven to be non-toxic.
The Society of American Florists is on a mission to debunk poinsettia toxicity this holiday season. Per an announcement released by the SAF, many consumers (namely, pet owners and parents of young children) shy away from it because of the belief that it can endanger a loved one.
SAF is urging garden centers and greenhouses to set the record straight with their customers on this longstanding myth: The poinsettia is the most widely tested plant and has been proven to be non-toxic. Research trials at Ohio State University revealed that a pet or child would need to ingest more than 500 leaves to become seriously ill. That said, poinsettias are a decoration and should be kept out of reach of children and animals prone to munching on foreign objects.
AmericanHort lauds ruling that horticulture is an agricultural commodity
Amending the agricultural commodity definition for transportation has been a key legislative priority for AmericanHort.
AmericanHort released the following statement after the Department of Transportation issued an Interim Final Rule announcing that horticulture is specifically included in the definition of agricultural commodity as it pertains to transportation:
“We are very pleased with the clarification of the agricultural commodity definition,” said Tal Coley, director of government affairs. “Plants are highly perishable products in transit. Officials at FMCSA, with assistance from USDA, got this right and should be commended. This is a sound government measure that will provide clarity to commercial drivers in our industry and enforcement officers alike. We would also like to thank Rep. Austin Scott and Rep. Kurt Schrader on their bipartisan efforts to elevate this issue in Congress.”
‘Draco’ Red, ‘Jack Frost’ among top performers in Plantpeddler’s poinsettia trial
Varieties from various breeders, including Beekenkamp, Lazzeri and Suntory were included.
The Cresco, Iowa-based grower hosted its annual poinsettia variety day on Dec. 3, featuring 144 commercial and pre-release poinsettia varieties.
“The Poinsettia trial and Variety Day event emphasizes our commitment to industry by showcasing genetics under northern USA growing conditions,” Plantpeddler President Mike Gooder said. “It is important to do a poinsettia production trial as a way for the industry and our growers to see how varieties perform in real world greenhouse conditions.”
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