mountain laurel burl

[curtis rosche]

i got a small stash of mountain laruel burl and will be getting more of it this summer. but i dont know what to do with it. the color os cool, its clay red. really tiny piny burl. about golf ball to base ball size. what whould i do with it?

[Andrew Derhammer]

Where did you get it, I thought it was illegal to cut in PA, maybe i'm thinking of something else, It is hazardous to burn though, gives off cyanide IIRC, so if you don't turn it don't burn it!

[John Fricke]

bottle stoppers?

[David Drickhamer]

Send some to me, I'll figure it out for you.:D

[David Hullum]

Don't eat the leaves they are poisonous I would be scared to turn it also.

[neil mackay]

Send some to me, I'll figure it out for you.

I am with you David. :D send it on down. yeehar!

[Jeff Nicol]

Curtis, I was just reading and article about mountain laurel and it does have some bad things about it as have already been said. Back before the 1960's the root burls were used to make "Briarwood" pipes. The burls are much heavier and dense compared to the trunk wood. You might want to see if you can get some of the roots from your secret supplier! But just like all woods saftey first.

Jeff

[curtis rosche]

Andrew, it is illegal if cut down when its alive. but i got them after they were dead. up at the place i go for summercamp they just cleared a large area due to gypsy moth damage, and the dozer they used tore up a lot of mountain laurel. so now it is dead

[Art Kelly]

Well darn: http://cal.vet.upenn.edu/projects/poison/plants/ppmount.htm :eek: Like Gilda said, "It's always something."

Art

P.S., I had some of the little "nuts" that sometimes are found inside maple burls--made beautiful bottle stoppers. Gave them away before I got them photographed.:o

[Don Orr]

I've turned Mtn. Laurel wood with no hazardous effects-that I know of. From the link it seems the leaves are the problem. Hard and dense wood.

[Jarrod McGehee]

Curtis you should give some to me for proper disposal of this harmful wood. :D