Tropical Americas are already full of things that can hurt you – spiders, snakes, frogs, fish… But there are other things to steer clear of, like giant trees with toxic fruit that randomly explode.
The ‘dynamite’ tree (Hura crepitans) is one of the largest trees of tropical America. Growing in open areas, they stay relatively short, but in the forest, they rise to 60 metres (200 feet) in height. It’s naturally distributed throughout the American tropics, and has also been introduced to the continental US, more specifically south Florida.
The tree’s common name, Sandbox tree, comes from the colonial West Indies, where the seedless fruit pods were used as sandboxes for blotting ink during writing or printing. It has also been widely utilised for medicinal purposes – for example, the leaves have been said to help with eczema.
But this tree also has many points of attack - toxic sap, spiky bark, and exploding fruit taking centre stage. The sap is toxic and can cause skin irritation, diarrhoea, and vomiting. The trunk has a rough texture with sharp thorns, making it particularly difficult and painful to climb.
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You’re not in the clear even if you’re not planning to climb this tree. The pumpkin-shaped fruit of Hura crepitans explode when mature, firing seeds in all directions at speeds of up to 160mph. Being hit by one of these projectiles can lead to an angry rash or blindness if you’re unlucky enough to get hit in the eye. These seeds have the same toxic qualities as the tree’s sap.
Top image: Hura crepitans, a perennial tree belonging to the Euphorbiaceae family, native to the tropical forests of the Americas, including the Amazon Forest. Credit: William Rodrigues dos Santos/Getty Images
