David Rance wrote:
On Fri, 20 Aug 2010, Stephen Wolstenholme wrote:

We have a Bay tree that has grown in a bit of a tangle with a Yew
tree. We often use bay leaf for flavouring. There is no possibility
of us confusing the leaves but today we were told that the Bay could
be poisonous because it is so close to the Yew.

I don't think that is likely but I must ask the experts in this
group. Could a Bay pick up poison from a Yew?

No. It's not like picking up a poisonous substance from the soil. I
have raspberries growing underneath a yew tree and have never had any
ill-effects from the raspberries!

People do say the daftest things. After all, some plants have parts
which are poisonous and parts which are edible: potatoes, for example.
Actually, for that matter, even yew varies in toxicity from part to
part: the coloured calyx is very sweet, and won't do you any harm in
small quantities (don't tell children: they'e more susceptible, of
course, and could easily swallow or bite the green seed because the
flesh is so slippery).

--
Mike.