Nature can be pretty damn scary. When you’re out camping, hiking or just enjoying a walk you tend to think about spiders and snakes that could potentially bite you. Already, that’s a lot of stuff to think about. Well we’re going to add one more thing from nature that should scare the hell out of you. Ever heard of the Manchineel Tree? No? It’s not really that surprising, it doesn’t grow many places in the United States. If you ever do happen to encounter this harmless looking plant though, you should run the other direction as fast as you can. This thing does stuff that would worry the most experienced outdoorsman.
Introducing the Manchineel Tree. Looks harmless enough right? Just like any other tree you would find anywhere in nature. The tree is found along the Southern coast of Florida, the Caribbean coasts and in South America.
For all its harmless looks however, this tree is downright deadly. If you pass one, you may see a sign like this attached to it.
The fruit the tree produces looks like apples. It is very sweet, but was known to the Spanish Conquistadors as the “little apple of death.”
A single bite of this tiny fruit can cause EXTREME pain, and in many cases even death!
It’s not just the fruit you have to worry about though. This entire tree is a weapon, from the fruit, to the bark and even the leaves!
People who have sought shelter under the tree from the rain have come out looking like this guy. The leaves poison the rain droplets that hit them. They then fall on the unsuspecting shelter seekers and scald and poison them!
If you were thinking about using it for firewood for some ungodly reason, I wouldn’t do that either. The smoke from the burning of the tree can cause severe skin and eye irritation. It can even be fatal if the smoke is inhaled!
Check Out What It’s Like Dealing With The Pain Of The Deadly Manchineel Tree!
The primary toxin found in the deadly Manchineel Tree is called Phorbol. It creates a severe allergic reaction in almost every single person who encounters it. If that wasn’t enough though, the tree contains dozens more toxins that haven’t even been identified yet! I always thought Venus Fly Traps were bad, but this tree puts every other poisonous plant I’ve heard of to shame!