The supposed death of a two year-old in 1919 after eating a poinsettia leaf seems to be the genesis of a persistent urban legend that poinsettias are deadly for children and pets. While there may not be too many kids or dogs on your Interiorscape service routes, many in the plantscape industry still hear this question from clients dozens of times a season.

Ironically many of you may still answer “yes!” Nearly 66 percent of those participating in a 1995 Society of American Florists poll believed poinsettias toxic if eaten. A 1994 survey of 1,000 Americans by Bruskin/Goldring Research for the Society of American Florists showed that 42 percent of men and 57 percent of women polled also thought that.

The truth is that poinsettia leaves taste awful – but don’t kill.  The assumed cause of the toddler’s death was never confirmed according to the well-respected myth debunking site snopes.com. In fact, after extensive testing by the American Society of Florists and the Ohio State University, researchers confirmed that no part of the Poinsettia plant is toxic. While the leaves may cause minor skin irritation, and consuming any part of the plant could result in a stomachache, there is no documented evidence that ingesting any part of a Poinsettia would be life-threatening or has actually killed anyone.
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We here at NewPro Corp. received a tall cardboard box from Lechuza the other day and when we opened it up we couldn’t decide if the German company sent us their newest container or a work of art. I’m going to be diplomatic and say “both.”

Lechuza's "Diamante"

The 30-inch tall “Diamante” looks like a jewel – and I’m not just picking a flowery adjective. As you can tell by the photo, its surface design is reminiscent of a polished diamond. In fact the word “diamante” originated about 100 years ago in France and means “set with diamonds.”

Similar in size and shape to its “Rondo” cousin, the Diamante is 16 inches in diameter and features an interchangeable plant liner with a recessed frame handle and overflow function along with the familiar Lechuza sub-irrigation system. NewPro is currently evaluating if or when we will carry it – it depends heavily on customer requests and somewhat on industry buzz.

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Many futurists predict that the lowly cockroach would emerge as the dominant species on Earth should humanity wipe itself out in a nuclear war. But ask any Interiorscaper, and they’d likely say fungus gnats or spider mites would reign supreme.

These two pests have become the “fly in the ointment” of many ‘scapers as they are tough to monitor and control, and often distract and annoy clients.

With so many office buildings focusing on green environments and Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) guidelines, the somewhat effective chemical pesticides are now out of the question.  So let’s put it bluntly, is there ANY way to control these buggers without using chemical insecticides?

Yes! Over the years, Interiorscapers have shared with us some ways to take out fungus gnats and spider mites naturally, and some of the most effective methods are with other living organisms available locally or online.
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