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Columbus Called Them ‘Death Apples,’ And If You See One, It May Already Be Too Late

In the Bible, Eve offered Adam forbidden fruit. He accepted and they both partook, and they (and us along with them) were cast out of the Garden of Eden.

In the Americas today, there’s another kind of fruit that should be avoided. It grows on a tree commonly found in Central and South America. It is also indigenous to Florida.

The manchineel is one of the most toxic trees on Earth, according to the U.S. National Center for Biotechnology Information. In 2011, it received Guinness World Records’ nod for “the world’s most dangerous tree.”

Christopher Columbus dubbed the tree “manzanilla de la muerte,” translated as “little apple of death,” according to the NCBI.

These are all sure signs we are no longer in the Garden of Eden.

The tree produces a toxic white sap, according to WTVT-TV in Tampa, Florida. Anyone who touches its leaves, even its bark, risks severely irritating his or skin to the point of blistering.

Inhaling smoke from a burning manchineel can restrict the airwaves of those unlucky souls who happen to breathe it in.

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2 thoughts on “Columbus Called Them ‘Death Apples,’ And If You See One, It May Already Be Too Late”

  1. So, you’re talking about the Poisionwood tree? Can we have a photo of a leaf? The “apple” fruit itself? The shape of the tree itself? Noooooo! That would be called Journalism, and we wouldn’t want that to happen in today’s world.

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