The Manchineel Tree
There is a beautiful tree called the Manchineel tree, which is often 50-feet tall with lots of thick green leaves, that is very common in the Caribbean, Florida, the northern coast of South America, Central America, and the Bahamas. It looks very inviting, especially on a hot summer day, when you need some shade, but it may be better to follow the warning signs and keep away, because this innocent looking tree holds the Guinness World Record for the world’s most dangerous tree.
The danger begins with the sweet-smelling fruit that is often found on the sandy beaches where the trees grow. Even a single bite of the green apple-like fruit can lead to hours of pain and suffering. The tree’s thick and milky white sap, which is the liquid the tree uses to carry its vitamins from its roots to its leaves, comes out of its leaves and bark, and is equally dangerous. Contact with the skin can lead to problems that go from blisters to a rash, headaches, and breathing problems.
Things get even worse when it rains, and sometimes it rains very heavily out here. Crowds of people run under the tree, out of the rain, thinking its umbrella of leaves will keep them dry. They don’t realize that the sap, which covers these thick leaves, contains a very dangerous liquid, called phorbol, which mixes with water very easily. That’s why experts tell you to keep away, and not to use this tree for protection during a rain shower, as raindrops carrying the sap could easily burn your skin and send you to hospital in a lot of pain.
You might think that people would have cut down and burned these dangerous trees by now, but there is a very good reason why they haven’t. Anyone planning to cut down the tree and use the wood for a beach fire should know that just breathing in the sawdust and smoke could burn their skin, eyes, and lungs. The tree may not kill you, but it is no wonder that Spanish-speaking cultures call it the tree of death.
The Tribune
1) Why is this tree dangerous?
