Certainly the seeds of the Laburnum and probably the leaves and flowers are well known as being poisonous. Most gardening books will say that these shrubs should not be grown in gardens where children play.
Whether the wood is poisonous is not so important. The wood-turner is always advised to wear a mask to avoid inhaling poisonous dust particles. The finished pegs are then unlikely to end up in someones mouth. The heads can be varnished to seal them from suckling babes etc. Does anyone suck a string that has already been in a Laburnum lute-peg? Replies to the list - please! Best Wishes Ron (UK) -----Original Message----- From: Ed Margerum [SMTP:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: 10 February 2004 13:56 To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subject: Re: Do pegs get smooth and begin slipping? At 7:48 AM +0100 2/10/04, Matthias Wagner wrote: >Hello Vance, > >pear for pegs is a little bit too soft. I don't use this. >Furthermore I used another >wood, but I could not find the translation. Probably someone in this >list knows the >name. It is called "Goldregen". It is a ornamental tree in the >garden. It flowers yellow >and theese are very poisonous. There are at least three trees that are called "golden rain tree" in English. Laburnum anagyroides, which is also called "golden chain tree" or "common laburnum", and Laburnum alpinum, also known as "Scotch" or "Alpine laburnum or golden chain", would fit your description of being very poisonous. Both these trees have pendulous chains of pea-like yellow flowers. Supposedly all parts of the laburnum are poisonous when ingested. The Laburnums are native of Europe. (Cystis laburnum is an older scientific name for common laburnum.) In North America, Koelruteria paniculata, a native of China, is known as "golden rain" or "golden chain" tree, and also soapberry, but this doesn't have the reputation of being poisonous. Ed Margerum
