Laurel (prunus spp.) How poisonous?

[Cuttup]

Whilst ingestion of leaves and berries is considered poisonous, is anyone aware of risk from chipping or burning the foliage, branches or timber form Laurel?

The burning would be foliage on a bonfore and the timber on a stove.

If burning or chipping is not considered safe what would be the best method of disposal?

 

Thnkas in advance.

 

[nepia]

This has been discussed repeatedly here.

 

The perceived risk is overegged.  Personally I love the smell and happily take in lungfuls of it for fun; some indication there of the actual levels of prussic acid (hydrogen cyanide dissolved in water) that are present.

 

My Jo Beau chipperette has chipped probably 5x as much laurel as any other species; it's a pleasure.

 

Don't eat it; it's chewy and - er - poisonous.

 

Burn the seasoned timber; it's bloody good firewood.

 

Does that help?

[Dan Maynard]

The smoke isn't great for you, just like any other smoke really. Carbon monoxide, fine particulates etc.

[Botty Cough]

If you do eat some while chipping mix it down with some strong lager or even gin...

 

[Stere]

 

 

Berries can be eaten the  turks like em.

 

 

 

 

[nepia]

I'll try one later in the year when I'm feeling a bit down ☺️

[Sviatoslav Tulin]

I did mulched tens of tons of this stuff and burned in stove and open fireplace still alive, however I did not eaten it by good amount so can’t say ,I did seen 8 dead cattle’s poisoned by eating lots of clippings!

[Trailoftears]

Love it,rhubarb leaves are poisonous -if you ate say the amount a determined hungry elephant might eat.Equally,privet is technically poisonous to sheep-how many thousand's of sheep-infested fields abutt onto privet hedges?As to smoke from Prunus species-I suspect Cannabis smoke has done me more harm than disposing of prunus waste 😁