The Tree of Death
An apple a day keeps the doctor away, but this apple will send you straight to the hospital – or maybe even straight into a coffin! Like Snow White and Adam & Eve have learned the hard way, never put blind trust into a delicious-looking fruit – especially if it grows on the aptly named arbol de la muerte, or Tree of Death!
This poisoned apple & the world’s most poisonous tree it is produced by can be found right in our Costa Ballena. Recognized by the Guinness World Records as the world’s most dangerous tree due to the high toxicity of every part of the plant, the Manchineel Tree (Hippomane mancinella) can severely injure humans & animals via its bark, sap, fruit, and even the smoke from its burning wood. This tree is very non-descript and grows, happily, all along the sandy beaches of Costa Rica’s coastlines. Let’s take a closer look at this common but dangerous beach companion which is also known by the name of its fruit, the manzanilla de la muerte, or ‘Little Apple of Death‘.
The scientific name, Hippomane mancinell, was coined by the Greek philosopher Theophrastus. Hippo means ‘horse’ and mane means ‘mania’ or ‘madness’. Theophrastus, the father of botany, bestowed this description after noticing that horses would go mad after consuming a native plant. Later, Carl Linnaeus, the father of taxonomy, applied this name to the toxic tree we know as Manchineel.
THE TOXICITY
Every part of the tree is off limits – the tree’s sap, containing a mix of phorobol & many other toxins and irritants, distributes the concoction to the leaves, fruit and all woody parts of the plant. And this sap is no joke – all you have to do is google ‘Manchineel Blister’ to see the horrible burns (I will not include these graphic photos in the blog). And imagine these same burns on the INSIDE of the body – along the esophagus, throat, and inside the stomach and intestines. Truly horrifying and extremely painful.
SAP TOXICITY
The sap is the main carrier of the toxins, so any contact can have very dire consequences. Severe blistering, burns and inflammation are the results on human skin or mucous membranes. Shockingly, if the sap makes its way to the eyes, temporary blindness of up to several weeks’ duration is likely to set in. A common way for that to happen is via an unsuspecting victim chopping the Manchineel wood without eye protection, or touching any part of the tree and then rubbing their eyes.
LEAF & BARK TOXICITY
Irritation and blistering are the results of contact with the tree’s leaves or bark cover. You are advised to NEVER stand under this tree during rainfall, as the rainwater flowing over the leaves and branches absorbs the highly water-soluble toxins before raining down on any unfortunate soul taking shelter under a Manchineel. This phenomenon is called ‘Manchineel Rain’. There are reports that, in the days gone by, people used to be tortured or punished by being tied to the Tree of Death during rainfall.
FRUIT TOXICITY
A small, pleasant, inviting fruit (called ‘beach apple’ or ‘little apple of death’) looks a lot like an apple – so easy to take a careless bite and suffer, as many survivors have recounted. But beware – ingestion will produce severe gastroenteritis (inflammation of digestive tract) with bleeding, shock, and bacterial superinfection (bacteria infection of the wounds), as well as the potential for airway compromise due to swelling. Drainage of the toxin to regional lymph nodes may cause subsequent cervical pain. An experience of eating the fruit makes for a shocking read:
When ingested, the fruit is reportedly pleasantly sweet at first, with a subsequent strange peppery feeling … gradually progressing to a burning, tearing sensation and tightness of the throat. Symptoms continue to worsen until the patient can barely swallow solid food because of the excruciating pain and the feeling of a huge obstructing pharyngeal lump.
SMOKE TOXICITY
Smoke from burning Manchineel wood will cause irritation and even blistering of the skin, throat, eyes, and airways. It is also known to cause temporary blindness.
Some of the more serious symptoms of poisoning include slowed heartbeat and dropping blood pressure. These are rare but very dangerous – see the ‘First Aid’ section below for very important tips.
EYEWITNESS ACCOUNTS FROM EARLY EXPLORERS OF THE NEW WORLD
Newcomers took a trial-and-error approach to the local bounty, so it is not surprising that we have many colorful early eyewitness accounts of contact with the fruit, leaves and sap of the Manchineel. Notably, Spanish explorer Juan Ponce de León died shortly after an injury incurred in a 1521 battle with the Calusa in Florida after being struck by an arrow that had been poisoned with Manchineel sap.
“There were wild fruits of various kinds, some of which our men, not very prudently, tasted… and they suffered such a great heat and pain.”
“On the fourth, a party of men were sent to cut wood… amongst other trees they unluckily cut down several of the manchineel, the juice of which getting into their eyes, rendered them blind for several days.”
“One day being hugely tormented with mosquitoes or gnats…I cut a branch thereof, to serve me instead of a fan, but all my face swelled the next day and filled with blisters, as if it were burnt to such a degree that I was blind for three days.”
“This poison is of such a malignant nature that a single drop of rain or dew that falls from the tree upon your skin will immediately raise a blister.”
TAKE THIS SERIOUSLY!
Many countries mark Manchineel trees for the sake of the tourists (the locals are, obviously, well acquainted with the dangers). In some instances the trees are marked with paint, in others they are decorated with very serious warning signs. Not every tree will be marked so the best course of action is to google the species and become very familiar with the look of the Tree of Death and its fruit and leaves.
IDENTIFYING THE MANCHINEEL
The tree grows up to 15 meters (50 feet) tall with a beautifully fanning, round crown. It has reddish-grayish bark, small greenish-yellow flowers, and shiny green leaves. The leaves are simple, alternate, very finely serrated or toothed, and 5–10 cm (2–4 inches) long. Spikes of small greenish flowers are followed by fruits which are similar in appearance to a crabapple and are green or greenish-yellow when ripe, growing to about 2-5 cm in diameter. The fruit contains a relatively large stone with 6 to 9 seeds. Please study the photos contained in this article and do further research so you have a good idea about how to identify this tree.
TAKE CARE, AND EDUCATE YOUR KIDS!
Getting on the bad side of the Tree of Death is as easy as picking up a stick, kicking an apple, stepping on a leaf or brushing against the trunk. And children are most in danger as they explore and pay along our beaches. Make sure your children understand the general look of the tree, leaves and apples – and are warned to stay away. Their little bodies are especially vulnerable to the terrible effects of this tree.
FIRST AID
Below are general, common-sense first aid considerations. if in any doubt, contact a medical professional.
- Skin Contact: Wash the affected area thoroughly with soap and water to remove any sap residue. Avoid touching your face or other parts of your body.
- Irritation Relief: Apply cold compresses, calamine lotion, or hydrocortisone cream to soothe skin irritation or blistering.
- Antihistamines: If symptoms are severe, taking an antihistamine like Benadryl may help reduce allergic reactions.
- Seek Medical Attention: If the sap or fruit has caused significant irritation, or if sensitive areas like the eyes are affected, consult a doctor immediately.
For ingestion or severe exposure, it’s crucial to seek emergency medical care right away. The Tree of Death toxins can cause serious harm, so professional treatment is essential.
YES, THERE ARE USES OF THIS TREE
In some areas, the wood is carefully harvested and dried in the sun to neutralize the sap, then used to build furniture. In addition, there are some native people who still use the sap to coat arrowheads before hunting. Others used the gum for edema and dried fruits as diuretic. However, there is no commercial demand for any part of this tree.
Some societies use the Tree of Death’s phorbol for medicinal purposes – mostly as a purgative or an agent that aids in the removal of internal parasites. Modern research is looking at phorbol’s promising anit-cancer, anti-viral and anti-bacterial effects as well, and phorbol is widely used as an aid in current biomedical research due to its effects on tumors. However other compounds in the sap are suspected to be carcinogenic. There is also the potential to use phorbol’s properties in development of bio-pesticides and bio-insecticides, which is ongoing.
As seen in the photo above, the Manchineel trees prefer sandy, brackish and shoreline soils. In doing so they help to stabilize the beaches and dunes and protect the inland habitats from storm surges and flooding. Their deep roots are perfect in keeping the oceanside sands and soils in place.
While many birds and animals stay away from the Tree of Death, the tree provides unique habitat to a few creatures that have immunity to the sap toxins. One of the more famous Manchineel residents is the Black Spiny-Tailed Iguana which is at home in the crowns of the tree.
WHY DID THE TREE EVOLVE THIS TOXICITY?
This is a very interesting question. Often plants develop toxic or unpleasant effects to target specific types of animals – for example hot peppers are unpleasant to mammals but delicious to birds, who spread the seeds far and wide. The Manchineel’s toxicity is very universal – only few animals are spared its pain, and like the Iguana mentioned above these animals are not too good at spreading the seeds.
The reason is still a bit of a mystery, but it is thought that since the Manchineel lives near the shores, it uses water to spread its seeds, not unlike the coconut. However the coconut is delicious and consumed in quantity by man and beast alike, so this does not fully answer the question of Manchineel’s high and universal toxicity. And because nothing in nature is an accident, the answer to the question is out there.
Our tropical surrounds are rich in animals and flora – and this of course includes creatures and plants that may do us harm! And while poisonous plants exist all around the world, the Tree of Death is an especially nasty contender. Thankfully, you are now armed with knowledge and this tree should do you no harm. Imagine living in our beautiful, tropical land – land has a bit of an edge to it! You can make this dream a reality much quicker than you think! Take the first step by browsing our local property listings here. RE/MAX WE SELL PARADISE is your trusted partner in this land of exotic and tropical culinary delights – we are waiting for your call!
Cover Photo c/o Scott Hughes, wikicommons
