The Deadliest Tree In The World Is Found In Florida & You Can Get Poisoned By Touching It
One person shared their experience from biting into an apple that grew from it. 🍏
The Machineel Tree holds the title of being the deadliest tree in the world, and it's located in the Florida Keys as well as the Everglades. If you come across it, you'll most likely see a warning sign around it advising you not to touch it.
It also reads to not even be near it when it rains, as the sap is extremely poisonous.
Wildlife organization, Imagine Our Florida, reports that something as small as a leaf brushing across your face can cause temporary or even permanent blindness. If the tree is burned, the remaining lingering smoke can also affect your sight.
The tree can grow in clusters and as high as 50 feet, though it is considered to be endangered.
The Guinness World Records named it the Most Dangerous Tree in 2011. According to the findings, the poison will give you blisters on your skin.
The natural fauna also grows green apples that can be fatal if ingested. One person submitted their experience to the National Center for Biotechnology Information, titled: "My most unfortunate experience".
The author was on a Caribbean Island where the plant species is more commonly found, and she saw some apples scattered on the beach. She and her friend took a bite each and the effects were almost immediate.
"Moments later we noticed a strange peppery feeling in our mouths, which gradually progressed to a burning, tearing sensation and tightness of the throat," she wrote. "The symptoms worsened over a couple of hours until we could barely swallow solid food because of the excruciating pain and the feeling of a huge obstructing pharyngeal lump."
It took over the course of eight hours for their symptoms to subside.
If you come across it, it looks like any other tree on the land, so make sure you look out for the warning signs tied around them it is advised to not ingest or eat any unknown fruits.
