Mum to cut down poisonous Aylesbury tree she says could kill her dog and daughter

A mother will cut down a poisonous tree in her back garden, which she says could kill her dog and daughter.

Carly Osborne has been given permission to fell a laburnum tree at the Grade II listed Fern Cottage, Lower Road, Hardwick, Aylesbury.

Buckinghamshire Council said that a tree preservation order would not be served at the 17th century property, and that the applicant could remove the tree.

Miss Osborne said: “We have a four-year old golden retriever and a 15-month-old daughter, and we are worried about them consuming parts of the tree.

“Particularly our daughter who is walking and will be in the back garden a lot during the summer months.”

Laburnums are sometimes known as golden chains due to their bright yellow flowers, which hang in bunches.

However, all parts of the tree are highly poisonous, including their pea-like seed pods, bark, roots and leaves.

Miss Osborne said: “We would hate for our daughter or dog to consume any of it as consumption of this can cause headaches, nausea, vomiting, frothing of the mouth, convulsions and even death through paralysis.”

The applicant said the tree is leaning towards her property and that it ‘could one day blow over’.

Although they poisonous, mortality is said to be very rare. Symptoms of laburnum poisoning may include intense sleepiness, vomiting, convulsive movements, coma, slight frothing at the mouth and unequally dilated pupils. It’s main toxin is cytisine, a nicotinic receptor agonist. It is used as a food plant by the larvae of some Lepidoptera species, including the Palearctic moth, the buff-tip.