The Deadliest Tree In The World Is Found In Florida & You Can Get Poisoned By Touching It
One person shared their experience from biting into an apple that grew from it. 🍏
The Manchineel tree with a warning sign around it.
The Manchineel Tree holds the title of being the deadliest tree in the world, and it's located in the Florida Keys, as well as in the Everglades. If you come across it, you'll most likely see a warning sign advising you not to touch it.
It also reads to not even be near it when it rains, as the sap is extremely poisonous.
Wildlife organization, Imagine Our Florida, reports that something as small as a leaf brushing across your face can cause temporary or even permanent blindness. If the tree is burned, the remaining lingering smoke can also affect your sight.
The tree can grow in clusters and as high as 50 feet, though it is considered to be endangered.
The Guinness World Records named it the Most Dangerous Tree in 2011. According to the findings, the poison from every part of the tree, including the sap, can cause your skin to blister.
The natural fauna also grows green fruits that can be fatal if ingested. One person submitted their experience to the National Center for Biotechnology Information, titled: "My most unfortunate experience".
The author was on the Caribbean Island of Tobago, on which the plant species is commonly found, and she saw some fruits resembling apples scattered on the beach. She and her friend each took a bite and the subsequent effects were almost immediate.
"Moments later we noticed a strange peppery feeling in our mouths, which gradually progressed to a burning, tearing sensation and tightness of the throat," she wrote. "The symptoms worsened over a couple of hours until we could barely swallow solid food because of the excruciating pain and the feeling of a huge obstructing pharyngeal lump."
It took over the course of eight hours for their symptoms to subside.
If you come across it, it looks like any other tree on the land, so make sure you look out for the warning signs tied around them. It is advised to not ingest or eat any unknown fruit, and to look out for children, who might be more likely to ingest unknown food.
Before you get going, check out our Responsible Travel Guide so you can be informed, be safe, be smart, and most of all, be respectful on your adventure.