Burning rhododendron

[tree-farmer]

Any reason not to burn rhododendron in wood stove?
Neighbor seems to think its toxic, I have burned huge piles of it outdoors with no ill effects. Cut some seasoned bits for fire wood, just wanted other opinions.

[lxskllr]

Found the question interesting, so I did a bit of searching. Rhododendron contains grayanotoxin...

Grayanotoxin - Wikipedia


More search didn't reveal whether or not it was neutralized by fire, but seems to me to be a cause for concern.

[Don P]

When I worked for the state parks in my teens we were told never to burn rhododendron or laurel. Later on I was talking to a friend from the Duke forestry dept about it and he recalled that Dr Grabow Pipe Company in Sparta (gone now) had experimented with making pipes out of rhododendron, apparently it had many of the same qualities as briar. So, don't know but with so many other woods out there I've never burned it.

[samandothers]

To continue from Wikipedia:
Consumption of the plant or any of its secondary products, including mad honey, can cause a rare poisonous reaction called grayanotoxin poisoning, mad honey disease, honey intoxication, or rhododendron poisoning.^[3][4] It is most frequently produced and consumed in regions of Nepal and Turkey as a recreational drug and traditional medicine.^[5]

So maybe we need to burn and snort it to 'chill'!