Monthly Archives: October 2018

Stay away from the Poisonous Manchineel, aka the “Tree of Death,” at All Costs

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For all its raw beauty, nature can be pretty scary too. One minute you’re chomping a beautifully juicy green apple from a tropical branch, and the next your throat is rapidly closing up in a mad dash to the ER. Take the manchineel tree, for example. Sure, it’s nice to look at. But with a nickname like “tree of death,” don’t expect an entirely wonderful experience.

Danger! Watch out for yourself

The machineel is the most dangerous tree in the world. But just by looking, you would never know it. The tree is a beachy, tropical plant that generally looks like any other, save for its abundance of shiny green fruits. It’s native to Central America, the Caribbean, northern parts of South America, and tropical regions of North America, including South Florida.

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The Toxin in “The Suicide Tree” Has Been Called the Perfect Murder Weapon

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By now you know not to be fooled by nature’s wonders, right? The Cerbera odollam, for instance, is a perfectly beautiful, lush green tree. But, oh no. This unassuming plant isn’t called the “suicide tree” for nothing. It can accurately also be called the “murder tree,” too. Whatever you want to call it, just keep your distance.

Lethal Weapon Seed

The Cerbera odollam is a medium-sized hardwood tree, endemic to India and southeast Asia, that can grow up to 32 feet (10 meters) tall. Nothing remarkable there. It’s not like this tree is trying to kill you, but it can. Pretty easily too, no thanks to the excessively toxic chemical cerberin in its seeds.

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