Post by @simonakeroydgardener

Be careful if you have a laurel hedge. Cherry and Portuguese laurel are both poisonous. (Closely related bay is fine) Laurel contains cyanide which is released when cut. Unlikely to do you much harm if pruning your hedge outdoors, but the risk comes if driving your laurel clippings to the local recycling centre or local dump / tip. The cyanide released in an unventilated car can cause intense headaches and drowsiness which can result in car crashes. My dog doesn’t touch laurel, and I keep a close eye on her to make sure she isn’t tempted, but if you do have a dog, make sure it isn’t a freshly cut laurel branch when picking up a stick to play ‘fetch’.