Most dangerous trees you should never touch
- [Narrator] The peace and quiet of the forest,
ah, what a perfect place to relax.
Except, not all of these trees are safe for humans to touch.
Believe it or not, some trees are so hazardous
that even standing too close can be a death sentence.
There are trees that produce deadly poisons,
trees with trunks lined with thorns,
and trees whose seeds explode
with the force of a hand grenade.
Suddenly the forest doesn't seem so relaxing.
So, let me be your guide, as I show you
some of the world's most dangerous trees
and plants that you should never, ever touch.
(upbeat music)
The Little Apple Of Death.
If you're ever lucky enough
to find yourself relaxing on the beaches of the Caribbean,
you might think the trees lining the coast
could provide some well-earned shade.
But, if you notice that these trees
are marked with a series of red bands,
you need to pick up your towel and your water wings
and run away from there as fast as you can.
That's because this is the Manchineel Tree,
one of the most toxic trees in the entire world.
The milky white sap the tree excretes
is packed full of skin irritants which are strong enough
to cause blisters on contact,
and even 2nd degree burns.
The irritants in this sap are so dangerous
that if even a drop were to land in your eye,
it could cause blindness.
And that's just the beginning.
The sap can dilute into rainwater, making it dangerous
to even stand underneath
as the solution drips off wet leaves.
And if this tainted rainwater evaporates and you breathe in,
it's still strong enough to irritate
and burn your lungs.
The effects of this sap are so lethal,
locals have taken to marking any Manchineel trunks
with red bands, and even adding warning signs
to clearly show people need to stay well away.
But that's not the only thing
that makes the Manchineel horrifyingly dangerous.
It also produces a small, green fruit
which is known locally as the "beach apple",
a misleadingly sweet name
for a potentially fatal fruit.
Take it from Nicola, a British tourist
who took a bite out of the green tangerine-sized fruit
that looks just like a small apple while on holiday.
Though at first it was pleasantly sweet,
moments later she was gripped by a burning pain
in her throat.
It was so intense it left her completely unable to swallow,
and the excruciating tearing pain
in her throat lasted for several hours.
The only relief she could find was through chugging down
gallons of cold pina coladas.
That's certainly one way to make it a memorable vacation.
But Nicola was lucky.
Others who have accidentally ingested the fruit
have suffered from inflamed and blistered mouths,
as well as severe digestive problems.
So, if you see a strange fruit on a Caribbean beach
that doesn't have a cocktail umbrella
poking out of it, avoid it at all costs.
Ominous Oranges.
If you walked by this tree, you'd be forgiven
for thinking that its big bulbous fruits
were some sort of oranges.
But if you peeled one apart,
you'd learn very quickly
that these ain't your average oranges.
If you went even further and decided to chow down
on this fruit... well, there's a chance
you wouldn't live to tell others about it.
That's because this is the Strychnos Nux Vomica,
more commonly known as the Strychnine Tree.
Strychnine is a potent poison,
which is found throughout the entire tree,
though most notably in the seeds.
If ingested in large amounts,
strychnine can cause involuntary
skeletal-muscle contractions,
which you have no control over.
The muscles can convulse,
tightening and flexing uncontrollably
to the point where a person's head,
neck and spinal column seize into a bridging arch position.
