It's like rhodies. Needs a bit of care, but otherwise, I believe the toxic stuff rots down if they're properly composted. Not used as a mulch straight off kind of thing.
Funny the number of trees that we don't consider harmful that are in some ways toxic. Like the aesculin from chestnuts that de-oxygenates water.
Leafmould / RHS Gardening
Leafmould is formed from decaying leaves and produces an invaluable soil conditioner. The best quality leafmould is produced from the leaves of oak, beech or hornbeam. <script type="text/javascript"> (function(i,s,o,g,r,a,m){i['GoogleAnalyticsObject']=r;i[r]=i[r]||function(){...
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Funny the number of trees that we don't consider harmful that are in some ways toxic. Like the aesculin from chestnuts that de-oxygenates water.