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Writer's picturePhillip Matthews

The most dangerous tree on the planet

There is a tree call Hippomane mancinella (the Manchineel tree) and it is in fact the world’s deadliest toxic tree. Every part of the tree, the wood, bark, leaves and the fruit, are very dangerous.

The tree can grow to a height of 15m, it has lush foliage, and its fruit looks and tastes like apples. But the sweet apple taste gives way to an increasing burning feeling, tearing pain sensation and tightness of the throat. The tightness of the throat will be to the point where you can barely swallow. O! I forget to mention its other common name, the ‘little apple of death’.

Other parts of this tree like the wood and leaves contain a milky sap that can cause serous chemical burns to skin, and eye damage like blindness, if it gets into your eyes. If you were sitting under the tree in the rain, the rain mixed with the toxic sap dripping on you will seriously injure your skin and you would be in a whole lot of pain. Here is the big clue: Any plant or tree with white milky sap is going to be poisonous. Therefore, this tree is in The Guinness Book of World Records for ‘the world’s deadliest tree’.

But don’t worry this tree grows mainly in the Caribbean, so you won’t find it here in Perth. However, please be careful with Euphorbia, Oleander and Frangipani that you will find in Perth.




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