There’s a toxic coastal plant you gotta know about, and it’s called the manchineel tree.
Where Does The Manchineel Tree Grow?
The trees live on beaches or in brackish water.
Credit: Ffennema/Getty Images
They tend to grow in clusters and can be found growing among mangroves.
The plant gets its name from the Spanish wordmanzanilla,which means “little apple.”
It is so named because the fruit and foliage of the plant resemble those of apple trees.
Credit: BrettCharlton/Getty Images
The tree has single or paired, sweet, and small apple-like fruits.
Manchineel can grow as a tall shrub or as a tree that reaches 50 feet in height.
During a voyage, the legendary Captain James Cook and his crew came upon the manchineel.
His men needed supplies, so Cook ordered them to collect fresh water and chop manchineel wood.
During this process crew members rubbed their eyes, which reportedly resulted in their blindness for two weeks.
Shipwrecked sailors have been reported to have eaten manchineel fruits, which caused inflammation and blistering around the mouth.
Contact Yields Toxic Results
As it happens, all of the fearsome stories are warranted.
Every part of the manchineel is poisonous.
Thefruit is toxicand the sap from the leaves and stems is too.
If touched, the irritants in manchineel sap can cause inflammation and painful blisters on the skin.
Some native peoples used the sap to coat arrowheads for hunting.
Manchineel is more widespread than you might imagine, and there’s a reason people leave it alone.
Frequently Asked Questions
The manchineel tree is also known as the poison guava and beach apple.
These names derive from its poisonous properties, fruit resemblance, and native growing environment.
The manchineel tree is a member of the spurge family (Euphorbiaceae).
The milky sap of a manchineel tree’s leaves and bark contains phorbols and other toxins.
This sap causes allergic reactions ranging from irritation and burning to blistering and blindness.
Andreu M and Friedman M.Hippomane mancinella, Manchineel.AskIFAS.
