- [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. Ouch, that's one seriously
extreme yoga pose. Though not a pose you
should be practicing, because the continual
strain of this position ultimately results in asphyxiation. And I thought downward dog was hard. The tree itself is native
to India and Southeast Asia, and amazingly it's credited
as limiting the spread of the bubonic plague to these regions. That's because its fruits decimated the European rat populations that carried the deadly
virus to these lands. Today, the strychnine tree
is still predominantly used as a source of rat poison. So, if you ask me, it's best
to leave this one to the rats. With any luck, the only
time you'll encounter any of these terrifying
trees will be in this video. Speaking of which, if you've
learned something new so far, be sure to hit those like and
subscribe buttons down below. All done, great, now
what have we got next? Brutal Bunyas. Ah, Australia, the country
where just about everything can kill you. If you're brave enough to go
for a walkabout in the woods, and are really careful,
you may think you're safe from anything dangerous
like snakes and spiders. But be sure to look up, because even the trees
are dangerous down under. Typically growing to heights
of more than 100 feet with rigid and sharp leaves, Bunya Pines are ancient
trees which have stuck around since the Jurassic era,
some 199 million years ago. Protective gear must be worn
when handling the leaves or branches, but the leaves
are the least of your problems. Between the months of December and March, these trees shed massive pinecones, weighing up to 40 pounds each. That's a seed the weight of
an average five-year-old, which can fall from the height
of a nine-story building. I wouldn't want to be
stood underneath that tree when it happened, like Sean Mace was. Back in 2015, Sean was
resting under a Bunya pine when, out of nowhere, a 16-pound pinecone fell right on his head. That might sound sort of funny, but Sean required two major surgeries and the impact left him with likely irreversible brain damage. Not exactly a laughing matter. As frightening as that is, Bunya pinecones aren't entirely terrible. The seeds within are edible
and make up a stable part of the diet of many
indigenous Australians. Many trees still bore the
carved hand and foot holds used by the aboriginal peoples to harvest the Bunya pinecones, as they weren't foolish enough to wait for them to drop on their heads. So, if you ever decide to visit Australia, be sure to pack all the essentials, swimming shorts, sun
block, and a hard hat. Spikes and Grenades. Just from looking at this terrifying tree, I probably don't have to tell you to keep your hands off
it, unless you're looking to add a few huge new holes to your palms. This is the Sandbox tree,
a natural nightmare native of the tropical regions of
the US and South America. Growing up to 100 ft
tall, the Sandbox Tree also goes by the nickname
of the monkey no-climb tree. That's pretty obviously
because its bark is covered in sharp, dagger like spikes that can grow to more than an inch long. Yeah, I wouldn't want to climb it either. To make it even worse,
the tree secretes a sap that is a potent irritant,
strong enough to blind anyone unlucky enough to get it in their eyes. Wow, this tree is not playing around. But why is it so nightmarish? Well, it's all to protect
its precious fruit, which look like tiny, adorable pumpkins. However, once the soft flesh withers away, it leaves behind hardened,
dried seed capsules that are the botanical
equivalent of hand grenades. When fully mature, the
seeds drop to the ground and explode, flinging their
hard, flattened seed capsules at speeds of up to 150 mph. This disperses the seed capsules far away from the parent tree to provide them with ample
resources to germinate and grow. Although, it has been reported
that the seed explosions sound as loud as a gunshot. And with its seedy
shrapnel firing that fast, I'd make sure not to be in that
line of fire, if I were you. Grievous Gympie. Now, it's not just trees that make up our world's frightening flora. Back in Australia, a deceptively
dainty dark green plant with heart-shaped leaves
and a fuzzy white fur looks like it would make
the perfect addition to a valentine's bouquet. But it's much more likely
to leave you forever alone. You see this is the Gympie-Gympie plant, also commonly known as The Stinging Tree. Those delicate white
hairs are in fact needles laced with moroidin, a powerful neurotoxin that causes excruciating pain. But the worst part is that
it doesn't degrade over time, leaving victims suffering for
days, months, or even years if the Gympie needles are
not removed from the skin. The burning pain is so bad, local legends have described
horses stung by this plant as being driven mad and running off cliffs to end their pain. Entomologist and ecologist Marina Hurley, while conducting a study of the plant, described the sting as
the worst kind of pain you can imagine, like
being burnt with hot acid and electrocuted at the same time. Others have described
the sting as equivalent to 30 wasps' stings, a picnic from hell, Even standing near the Gympie is a hazard because the fine needles
can break off in the breeze and, if you breathe them in, they'll wreak havoc on
your respiratory system. All right, I'm amending that
Australian essentials list from before, swimming shorts, sun block, hard hat and a gas mask. Have I missed anything? Let me know down in the comments. The Cold Killer Tree. While the Caribbean's Manchineel tree holds the official title
of The Most Dangerous Tree in the world, it isn't the Caribbean's
only unsafe shrub. Called the Pisonia
Tree, the thick canopies of these trees encourage birds to nest inside their branches. Now, like many plants, the Pisonia relies on animals to carry its seeds far away from the parent plants
so that they don't end up directly competing for resources. As such, the Pisonia releases sticky, gooey seeds that adhere themselves to the bird's feathers, pretty smart. But, somewhere in the Pisonia's plan, something went really, really wrong. The pods are so sticky that the birds become completely incapacitated, with some lugging around more than 200 seeds. Left flightless, unable to move, or even free themselves, the poor birds eventually
succumb to starvation, fatigue, or become prey to opportunistic predators. The most worrying part
though is that botanists have no idea why the tree does this. Scientists conducted several studies and concluded that the tree
obtains absolutely no benefit from its bounty of dead birds. Perhaps it is a mechanism the tree evolved to combat predators that
have now gone extinct? Or it's an evolutionary genetic quirk that has just gone too far? Well, it's either that, or this tree just really, really hates birds. Killer Coconuts. There's an old, urban
legend that coconuts kill more than 150 people per year, by falling out of trees at a great height and cracking them on the head. Fortunately, though,
this is totally false. It's a fabricated statistic
popularized by shark activists to demonstrate the relatively low number of shark-attack related
fatalities, with 10 casualties on average caused by sharks each year. However, that doesn't
mean coconuts are shy. In all seriousness, if a
coconut weighing four pounds fell 80 ft onto a person's head, the impact velocity would be 50 mph. The force of that would
be roughly equivalent to the weight of one ton. And coconuts dropped from lower heights have resulted in ER trauma admissions, with injuries caused to the
back, shoulders, and head. There have even been
fatalities caused by coconuts. In 1973, a young child in Hawaii was fatally injured
while playing in a park after a coconut in a
nearby tree fell on them. And in 2002, a fatal incident
involving a falling coconut on a beach in Northern
Queensland, Australia, lead to authorities removing coconut trees from all their beaches. So be careful where you decide
to take a nap on holiday, or this falling fruit might be
the last thing you ever see. Sinister Shipworms. All right, I'm about to show
you something that's gross. So gross, I can hardly look at it myself. Still here, well, you have been warned. Now, let me introduce you
to a frightening sight that could suddenly slide out of any tree you might find near sea water. These are shipworms. Despite their name, they're
technically a member of the mollusc family, a
group of saltwater clams with long, soft white bodies. They are infamous for
burrowing into structures such as piers, docks, and ships, anywhere where wood meets the
sea, shipworms will be there. They settle onto wooden
structures as larvae, where they begin to excavate the wood, burrowing themselves inside
as they grow into adulthood, spending their whole lives munching great long tracks
through the wooden beams. The tunneling of shipworms can cause dangerous structural weaknesses and result in shipwrecks
and pier collapses, alongside a nasty shower
of slimy worms, gross. Nevertheless, in the Philippines, shipworms are known locally as Tamilok, and are considered a delicious delicacy. Here, they're hunted and
extracted from the trees growing or rotting in
mangroves close to the coast. But, depending on how
infested the tree is, its structural integrity
could see it collapse at any moment, putting potential
hunters in grave danger. I think I'll be safe though, seeing how I just lost
my appetite forever. Trippy Tree. At a glance, the pretty
flowers dangling from this tree really steal the show. The pristine petals have earned
the name Angel's Trumpets, but after you learn a
little more about them, you realize they should be
called Devil's Trumpets. The official name of
this plant is Brugmansia, and originally it was native
to the wilds of South America, though it can now be found
a lot closer to home, perhaps even in your garden. Brugmansia is considered by
many as an ornamental plant perfect to have in a pot on the patio. But don't be fooled, it's also one of the most toxic trees you can grow. To both humans and animals, the toxins of this plant can be fatal. In their native climates,
Brugmansia can grow upwards of 20 feet tall, the entire tree covered in foot long
trumpet-shaped flowers. However, be warned because
contact with this plant can trigger anticholinergic syndrome in the central nervous system, leaving sufferers completely
paralyzed and confused. It's so dangerous that
ecologists routinely have to wear hazmat suits
while working with it. But that's not all! the
toxin can also trigger auditory and visual hallucinations. According to studies, the
hallucinations aren't fun, they're terrifying, meaning this is a tree that can probably make
your worst nightmares appear before your very eyes. Back in 2006, a young man
was admitted to hospital after drinking a cup of
Red Angel's trumpet tea. He seemed to be searching
for a high, but instead, in the throws of a vivid hallucination, he cut off his tongue and his trumpet. Now that's what you call a bad trip. Imposter Problems. If you ever go on a walk
through an orchard in Brazil, you may come across a tree
smothered in black boils. But before you hail down the locals and warn them of an oncoming
plague, take a closer look. They're actually berries. Delicious and edible berries
of the Jaboticaba Tree to be precise. Native to three states of Brazil, and in season for just
a few weeks of the year, these berries grow in a bizarre fashion. They smother the tree trunk
like a clutch of alien eggs, rather than in the usual way of appearing amongst the leaves. Due to the extremely short
shelf life of these berries, beginning to ferment three to
four days after being picked, they are often turned into
jam, jelly, juice, or liquor. However, when it comes to figuring out which black berries are safe to eat, you best leave that to the Brazilians. Without an untrained eye,
many other luscious-looking black berries are in fact poisonous. Pokeweed, a common sight in South America, bears inviting black berries
on bright purple stems. But, unlike the delicious
Jaboticaba berries, these cause violent cramping,
difficulty breathing and eventual asphyxiation. But it's far from the only
dangerous black berry out there. Atropa Belladonna, otherwise
known as Deadly Nightshade, is one of the most toxic
plants in the world, and also sports berries that are similar in shape and size to the Jaboticaba. But don't be fooled by
their similar appearance, because eating even a
single Nightshade berry can cause hallucinations,
psychosis, and convulsions. Eating just two disrupts
involuntary systems throughout your body, like sweating, breathing, and your heart
rate, which can prove fatal. The best rule to follow is to always avoid wild black berries. Unless you find them growing directly from a tree trunk in Brazil. Hidden Honey Locust. The leaves of the Honey Locust Tree, commonly found across the US, turn and incredible shade
of orange in the fall. But be warned, because
lurking beneath those leaves are sharp spear-like thorns
that are about four inches long, although some can reach
as long as 11 inches. Flick knives with blades
longer than 2.5 inches are generally illegal to
carry in most US states, so it's fair to say this is
a seriously gangster tree. The flowers possess a strong, sweet scent, but leaning in too close to get a sniff could bring you face to
face with those thorns. They're so big and nasty
that they've been known to puncture the tires of field tractors. And some horrifying accounts have even described these thorns piercing right through people's skin to fracture the bone. The thorns are thought to have
evolved to protect the tree from giant animals that
used to roam the earth during the worlds last ice
age, like wooly mammoths. Those animals have since gone extinct, but the honey locust tree
has hung onto its weaponry. On the other hand, the
honey locust's close cousin, the black locust tree,
takes its thorny weaponry a step further. The black locust tree has
fewer and shorter spikes but it laces them with
the poisonous phytotoxin, called robin, which can
cause muscle weakness and kidney failure. So, if you see a tree with thorny spikes, be warned and steer clear, as they evolved to fight
off wooly mammoths, so they won't find humans
much of a challenge. Weird Whistling. The savannas of equatorial East Africa are great rolling planes punctuated here and there by vegetation. It's a relatively
peaceful, quiet landscape, with the exception of
an odd, eerie whistling, one that's not coming
from any sort of bird. This is the Whistling Thorn, an Acacia tree that can
grow up to 18 feet tall. But that's not all it grows. On either side of a swollen vine, the tree boasts tens
of pairs of huge spikes which each reach three inches long. But the thorns are the
least of your concerns, as the swollen bases of these thorns are naturally hollow. This makes them the perfect
spot for a whole variety of insects to move in. Ants in particular reside inside the tree in a symbiotic relationship,
using the hollows of the swollen vines to build their nests and acting as a defense for the tree. The fire ants protect the tree by swarming out of their nests
and attacking any intruders brave enough to try
and mess with the tree. An attack from a fire ant
typically causes instant, intense pain. The pain quickly gives way to itching and intense skin irritation that lasts anywhere from
a few hours to a few days. And worker fire ants
are determined soldiers, so they won't stop until
the job's done, ouch. Every few years, the ant
colonies relocate their base to another swollen vine,
leaving behind a hollow thorn. When the wind blows, it
whistles through the hollows in the old, abandoned thorny vines, leaving the tree to whistle
threateningly in the wind. So, if you ever hear an ominous whistling floating over the African savannahs, turn on your heel and run the other way. Have you ever seen any of these
dangerous trees in person? And which of these was
your least favorite? Let me know down in the comments below and thanks for watching.
