Topic: Laurel berries

[Mrs Ava]

I was going to ask if anyone knew about these and whether they are edible, but I have been googling whilst posting, and what do you know, they are poisonous.  Such a shame as this has been the best year ever for laurel berries - my shrub is weighed down with black succulent fruits.  Won't be making laurel jam then.  ::)

[Robert_Brenchley]

Don't; it contains cyanide. A lot of laurels at Broadmoor had to be removed in a hurry when one of the inmates started poisoning people with it.

[Hyacinth]

Hmmm ??? I've a laurel bush - which I hate.
 I've a thuggish neighbour - whom I loathe.

How exactly did the inmate do it, Robert?

 8)

[Robert_Brenchley]

I'm not sure exactly. His name was Graham Young, and his hobby was studying the effects of poisoning people. He killed three in his youth, was found unfit to plead, and was sent to Broadmoor, where he studied poisons and continued his experiments. After his release he went straight back to poisoning, and ended up dying in prison. You probably either steep or boil the leaves in water to extract the cyanide.

[Ceratonia]

I remember reading that Elizabeth David, the famous cookery writer, had once included a recipe for laurel soup - a spoonful of which would have had enough cyanide to kill a horse. It should have been translated as bay not laurel.

[Mrs Ava]

That caught me out also Ceratonia.  When I was first googling I kept coming across reference of laurel fruits and leaves being culinary, then I realised I was looking at Bay - laural nobilis or something - not my big evergreen version.  I shall make sure the kids know to leave well alone anyhow.

I don't love it Lish, but in our front garden it serves it's purpose, and even after the drought, it stayed green and lush.  I must remember to wash my hands when I prune it.  And I wonder if I should mention to the school about how poisonous it is as they have loads of them planted around the school building and the kids are always picking the leaves!!

[Hyacinth]

   And I wonder if I should mention to the school about how poisonous it is as they have loads of them planted around the school building and the kids are always picking the leaves!!

Most certainly :o  Was just a little bit surprised that you didn't know they were poisonous, but inexcusable that the authorities don't? Unless this is all part of the Grand Scheme of Things to close down smaller schools because of under-use ???

Please tell them NOW EJ - and  put it in writing, eh?

[Mrs Ava]

Yes I will Lish, and I had a chat with the sprogs about it.  Nope, hand on heart, I didn't realise how poisonous they were!   Just never given it a thought.  Yes, around the school front they have a large bed that wraps around to the reception building, and in amongst the couple of phormiums are loads and loads of laurel bushes!  I will take a trip up there and see if the caretaker is home and have a chat with him.  Of couse, school is closed for another 10 days, but I could contact the council about it.  Special Squad EJ is on the case!

[Rosa_Mundi]

Do those laurels actually fruit, EJ? I've seen quite a lot of dwarf laurels in municipal plantings around here, and never seen a single fruit - presumably they're not self-fertile. May be worth checking on yours before they're all ripped up?

[Mrs Ava]

I will check Rosa, but if the poison is also present in the leaves, then I guess the kids are at risk because they all stand there pulling them off - poor plants.  It is one of those sherlock holmes things...I wonder now on days when one of the urchins has been poorly with bellyache or headache or sickness and diareahhhh for no apparent reason....could they have been scrunching up laurel leaves at school, then put their grubby little fingers in their mouths.......

Don't worry, I won't let the plants be oiked out if there is no need.

[Rosa_Mundi]

I was thinking along the lines that the planting was probably done by a company employed for the purpose, and planting something toxic in leaf and fruit around a school would be crazy - wouldn't it? Sueable, even. (Which might pay nicely for fresh plants...)

[Robert_Brenchley]

They could have been there for ages; they used to be fashionable at one time. Butterfly collectors sometimes used to use crushed laurel leaves in the bottom of a jar to kill the butterflies with the prussic acid fumes, so they really are seriously poisonous.

[Lizzie]

Boy, I'm glad I read this thread - I'm on a jam-making mission at the moment to stock the preserves table at our autumn fair (St George's Church, Beckenham, 14 October...) and pass underneath a laurel with a real abundence of fruit. In my current  frenzy to turn pretty much _anything_ into jam, I was really eyeing them up with a view to giving it a go. Something tells me I should rethink my plans now, though. I suspect it's not the done thing to take out the vicar with the topping of his morning toast ;o)

[CotswoldLass]

Know what you mean EJ ....we are surrounded by Laurel. I know it was poisonous but reading here has been a real insight! CLX

[ACE]

How many kids have died from it? Leave well enough alone, The nanny state has gone mad enough without our help. I,m off with tom and jerry for a ciggy.

Laurel, yew, monks hood, euphorbia, nightshade, mushrooms, dwarf elder, lords and ladies etc, etc. Lets get rid of them all.

Hanging baskets might fall on your heads and rose bushes can scratch you so a lot of councils used the excuse to stop using them. Don't give them any more reasons to concrete over the flower beds.

[Mrs Ava]

Yes yes Ace, I appreciate all of that, and I am not suggesting the wrip them all up, just to be aware really.  I have tried very hard to educate my urchins to look, even pick, but never every put into their mouths until they have checked with me and only me.  But there are urchins who would pick, and stick it in their gobs.  It might not kill them as the berries probably taste like sh*te so they spit them out, but then might get the belly aches and noone really knows why.

What I wanna know is what are they going to do about Popeye and his pipe?  Surely that is just as naughty as Tom and his smokes?? ;D

[ACE]

What I wanna know is what are they going to do about Popeye and his pipe?  Surely that is just as naughty as Tom and his smokes?? ;D

He smokes spinach, never tried it myself but eating it mixed with scrambled egg is very addictive. ;D

[Mrs Ava]

Smokes Spinach!!!!!!!!!