This Is the Most Metal Tree in the World

Plants, mushrooms, colorful fruits, these are all things that we innately know might be dangerous. You’d probably be a little reticent to grab one you don’t recognize with a bare hand, doubly so if you’ve ever dealt with poison oak. Trees, though, feel like our friends. They’re stoic and kind, giving us a nice place to lean or rest. In fact, don’t think most people would think twice about planting their hand on a tree to catch their breath. 

One tree, however, would have you immensely regretting that decision.

That tree, native to tropical climates in South America and southern regions of North America, is the manchineel tree. It also goes by two other, incredibly metal nicknames: the Death Apple, or Tree of Death. Despite looking like a perfectly charming piece of wood, it’s capable of inflicting serious harm in a variety of ways — something that’s earned it the crown of being commonly known as the most dangerous tree in the world, without needing to fall on anybody to earn that moniker.

First off, let’s talk about the fruit: the little green orbs that the Spanish conquistadors started calling la manzanilla de muerte, or “little apple of death.” Even if you were literally starving to death, the manchineel fruit wouldn’t be worth biting into. It causes burning and severe swelling in your throat, the throat being something you want in top working order at all times. Plus, blisters on your mouth for good measure. 

“No duh,” you might be thinking, “it’s not like I’d bite into random fruits I found. Not to mention, poisonous fruit isn’t anything new.” Well, congrats on those top-notch survival instincts, but the manchineel tree doesn’t need you to be hungry to hurt you.

All you have to do is make the extremely forgivable mistake of touching it. The tree’s sap, which coats the leaves and stems, causes blistering lesions. Imagine how unpleasant a lesion is, and now add the fact that it’s blistering? I’m good on that. 

One story from history tells of the famous Captain Cook ordering his crew to chop wood from what he would quickly learn were manchineel trees, and after the chopping, sailors who were unlucky enough to rub their eyes were blind for two weeks.

Even if they had safely made lumber of the manchineel, they weren’t out of the woods yet (pun unavoidable). When manchineel wood is burned, those same toxins transfer to the smoke, and the smoke from the fire could make even the most careful chopper go blind regardless. 

All of which makes the manchineel tree a bit of flora you well and truly don’t want to fuck with.