Toxic Hedges - Laburnum

[yeoldebarn]

I'm wondering if anyone else in West Wales has laburnum in their hedgerows, and if so have you ever had a problem with your stock getting ill?

I have a massive laburnum hedge dividing my fields, I've been laying it this winter as it hadn't been managed for decades and was overstood and gappy. I'll be making hay off of these fields and have horses grazing them, do I need to worry about them eating the hedge or the poisonous seed pods getting baled up in the hay?

Apparently it is everywhere in this part of the country so you would think there would be more talk of it if people's stock were getting sick. I still feel like it's an awful choice for an agricultural hedgerow though, I'm thinking of planting up with hawthorn either side to create a barrier so the animals can't get to it and electric off until it matures.

Any thoughts much appreciated, ta!

 

[borderterribles]

When we moved here ten years ago I was horrified at the amount of Laburnum in the area, both as entire hedges and as trees within hedgerows. As a child it was always drummed into us that all parts of it are poisonous to people and animals. We had horses when we moved here,although we don't have any now. They were drawn like magnets to the Laburnum trees,especially in Spring so I cut them down straight away . We didn't have any complete sections of Laburnum hedge, but I have on several occasions turned down Summer grazing on land that has it.
In all truth, I haven't heard of anyone who has lost stock from having eaten it though. When I have mentioned it to farmers locally, it usually elicits blank looks .
This is a former Lead mining area and I am told that the miners used to chew Laburnum seeds whilst working!!!

 

[som farmer]

always been told it was poisonous.

had 2 big 'trees' of it in the garden, kids were small, so cut them down, someone suggested advertising the wood, so l did.

very popular to, sold it for a nice sum, to a wood turner.

 

[bovrill]

Is laburnam the only plant that makes cattle vomit? I remember a vet saying there's only one garden plant that does it, but could't remember which one it was.

 

[yeoldebarn]

When we moved here ten years ago I was horrified at the amount of Laburnum in the area, both as entire hedges and as trees within hedgerows. As a child it was always drummed into us that all parts of it are poisonous to people and animals. We had horses when we moved here,although we don't have any now. They were drawn like magnets to the Laburnum trees,especially in Spring so I cut them down straight away . We didn't have any complete sections of Laburnum hedge, but I have on several occasions turned down Summer grazing on land that has it.
In all truth, I haven't heard of anyone who has lost stock from having eaten it though. When I have mentioned it to farmers locally, it usually elicits blank looks .
This is a former Lead mining area and I am told that the miners used to chew Laburnum seeds whilst working!!!

Ah, that doesn't bode well for me as I have a horse who would happily eat yew, cherry laurel or anything else that could potentially kill her! We have about 50 metres of laburnum hedging that appears to have been coppiced in the past and a few trees dotted around too. We viewed the house in winter so there were no leaves on anything and in the estate agent's photos I thought it was hornbeam as it was only photographed at a distance...

Are you also in West Wales?

 

[yeoldebarn]

always been told it was poisonous.

had 2 big 'trees' of it in the garden, kids were small, so cut them down, someone suggested advertising the wood, so l did.

very popular to, sold it for a nice sum, to a wood turner.

Yes, I have heard that wood turners like it too and that it is toxic to burn, otherwise I would have saved the brash for my log burner.

 

[yeoldebarn]

Is laburnam the only plant that makes cattle vomit? I remember a vet saying there's only one garden plant that does it, but could't remember which one it was.

Sounds horrifying!

 

[flowerpot]

Yes, poisonous. I remember climbing a couple of laburnums as a child and we were always told not to eat the seeds. Amazing we survived.

Someone had some cows and calves in a large field that surrounds the church. They managed to get through a gate into the church yard one evening which has yew trees. I was riding past on my horse the next day and there were two dead animals in the field which I could see as I was looking over the hedge. The owners were up at the field gate rounding them up so I told them there were two dead ones, which no doubt spoiled their day.

 

[yeoldebarn]

Yes, poisonous. I remember climbing a couple of laburnums as a child and we were always told not to eat the seeds. Amazing we survived.

Someone had some cows and calves in a large field that surrounds the church. They managed to get through a gate into the church yard one evening which has yew trees. I was riding past on my horse the next day and there were two dead animals in the field which I could see as I was looking over the hedge. The owners were up at the field gate rounding them up so I told them there were two dead ones, which no doubt spoiled their day.

If it was yew I would coppice it all out in a heartbeat. Just can't find much information on whether laburnum is actually a risk to livestock or not. It does seem to be everywhere around here...

 

[Ffermer Bach]

Yes, I have heard that wood turners like it too and that it is toxic to burn, otherwise I would have saved the brash for my log burner.

I burn it in my log burner, it is very dense hard wood so burn very well.

 

[Ffermer Bach]

We have lots of golden chain in the hedges here, and the cattle and sheep are fine with it. Not the best plant to lay.

My neighbour was a very well renowned Welsh Cob breeder, and all his hedges were full of golden chain with no problems what so ever. I think it may be common as I was told Cardigan port had things come in in golden chain pallets. The wood from the pallets made excellent fence posts and like willow, they grew.

 

[yeoldebarn]

We have lots of golden chain in the hedges here, and the cattle and sheep are fine with it. Not the best plant to lay.

My neighbour was a very well renowned Welsh Cob breeder, and all his hedges were full of golden chain with no problems what so ever. I think it may be common as I was told Cardigan port had things come in in golden chain pallets. The wood from the pallets made excellent fence posts and like willow, they grew.

That makes me feel a bit better, thank you! How long do you season it for before burning? Online a few websites say it's toxic to burn, but maybe that's an old wive's tale...

 

[borderterribles]

Ah, that doesn't bode well for me as I have a horse who would happily eat yew, cherry laurel or anything else that could potentially kill her! We have about 50 metres of laburnum hedging that appears to have been coppiced in the past and a few trees dotted around too. We viewed the house in winter so there were no leaves on anything and in the estate agent's photos I thought it was hornbeam as it was only photographed at a distance...

Are you also in West Wales?

No,South Shropshire.

 

[Ffermer Bach]

That makes me feel a bit better, thank you! How long do you season it for before burning? Online a few websites say it's toxic to burn, but maybe that's an old wive's tale...

I make sure I cut it up and split it while it is still a bit green, but it would probably be better to sell it to wood turners and buy bags of logs. I always leave my wood for at least one year, better two in the french barn to season. I have stored them in big bags, but I am not sure that is the best to dry them, I am thinking IBC cages would be a better job.

 

[Jerry]

I make sure I cut it up and split it while it is still a bit green, but it would probably be better to sell it to wood turners and buy bags of logs. I always leave my wood for at least one year, better two in the french barn to season. I have stored them in big bags, but I am not sure that is the best to dry them, I am thinking IBC cages would be a better job.

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[milkloss]

If it was yew I would coppice it all out in a heartbeat.

You'd want to make sure it's dead! I'd rather pull it out roots and all.

 

[ollie989898]

As a rule I wouldn't let horses graze anything out of a hedge and especially out of a garden as you can bet your life it will make them ill, possibly seriously so. Fence it off and keep them away from it.

 

[yeoldebarn]

As a rule I wouldn't let horses graze anything out of a hedge and especially out of a garden as you can bet your life it will make them ill, possibly seriously so. Fence it off and keep them away from it.

It isn't a garden boundary, it's dividing my fields. It is annoyingly common in hedgerows around here.

 

[MRT]

It isn't a garden boundary, it's dividing my fields. It is annoyingly common in hedgerows around here.

Seems fine. Cattle, sheep, and it seems children as it surrounds the forrest school too. Worry about something else.

 

[Eiddwen]

Many years ago while on an ADAS stand at the Royal Show in England I came across a chap whose family had farmed somewhere between Synod Inn and Sarnau. He told me that one of his ancestors had been very involved in growing laburnum seedlings for sale as hedging and being very instrumental in a very large number of hedgerows in the area being planted exclusively in laburnum. I think he mentioned that this would have been about the late 1800's. I remember thinking at the time that this could well account for its presence in Cardiganshire.