In article ,
Spider wrote:

It is, as you know, a well-documented fact that laurel (prunus laurocerasus)
contains hydrogen cyanide. When put on a domestic fire - indoors or
outdoors - it will usually smoulder for some time before catching fire.
Certainly, when the cyanide gas catches fire, it will be burnt off, but
until then it will rise in the warm air and disperse. Outdoors, one can
stand upwind and hope to avoid it but, I for one would not want to risk
breathing that contaminated air indoors in a confined space. Unfortunately,
my ex-fireman father is not available for a couple of days, but I will
discuss this with him when next we speak.

As I said, that holds for most of the Rosaceae, and in particular
most of the Prunus genus.


Regards,
Nick Maclaren.