The manchineel tree is the most dangerous tree on the planet. Just one bite of the fruit can lead to death, and touching the bark, sap or leaves will cause painful blisters.
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The manchineel tree is the most dangerous tree on the planet. Just one bite of the fruit can lead to death, and touching the bark, sap or leaves will cause painful blisters.
Image Westend61 / Getty
A tree is trending on Reddit – because it is no ordinary tree.
The most dangerous plant on the planet can be found in Mexico, the Caribbean and South Florida. A touch to the sap will cause blisters, and a bite to its fruit can be fatal.
It seems that every aspect of the manchineel tree is designed to cause extreme pain and even death. The Guinness Book of World Records crowned it The most dangerous tree in the world in 2011, but scientists have long known about the poison of manchineels.
Follow for a researcher, Christopher Columbus called the fruit of the tree “manzanilla de la muerte”; little apple of death.
The poison is so strong that even standing under a tree during a rainstorm can cause pain and blistering. Even burning wood releases toxins, which can blind people standing too close to the smoke.
The tree can reach 50 feet in height, with toothed leaves 2 to 4 inches long. The bark is red, brown, and gray, and, like the fruit and leaves, is also poisonous.
Indigenous peoples in Florida and the Caribbean once dipped arrowheads in the poisonous, milky sap to kill their enemies, according to University of Floridaand even tied others to trees to ensure a slow and painful death.
