How dangerous is Laburnum.

[Laurentius]

Ok I am not going to be carving any spoons out of it, but generally speaking how hazardous is the wood and the bark generally.

Yesterday I found myself a nice straight piece which I was using as an impromptu thumbstick, with the intention of taking it home and finishing the job properly.

Would there be any danger from merely handling the thing and then eating afterwards or would a coat of varnish be sufficient to seal in any risk?

 

[dwardo]

As far as i know its similar in toxicity to yew. As a general rule of thumb unles your eating it or breathing in the dust,, escpcialy in a confined area your fine. Would not use it for a spoon etc my self but i dont think it carries any toxicity once dried as is the same with the other woods.

Makes great bows, not got any spare have ye

Dneee worry about it.

 

[_mark_]

http://www.thepoisongarden.co.uk/atoz/laburnum_anagyroides.htm

 

[Ph34r]

Well the butterflies love it in springtime. Anything can be dangerous, if the labernum is big, and it falls on you, then that is dangerous. I have personally made some decorative spoons out of it, and am still alive and as crazy as ever.

 

[robin wood]

I have a definitive answer from Kew with 5 pages of all the relevant info if you are interested. The seeds and flowers are the only parts with any reported cases of poisoning. Many non academic sources state poison in all parts but the only test data I have seen relates only to seeds, leaves, flowers and one test on bark.
My personal feeling is that laburnum wood is acceptably low risk to use for food use and certainly for a stick. The toxin is far less toxic than Yew and the results for bark and leaves are very low compared to seed and flower. It is not listed in the definitive book Hausen, Bjorn (1981). Woods injurious to human health: a manual. Berlin: Walter de Gruyter