Why The Manchineel is the Most Dangerous Tree in the World

The manchineel, also known as the ‘Tree of Death,’ holds the Guinness World Record for world’s most dangerous tree. At Mental Floss, we’ve covered a few of its deadly properties before, but in the video below, YouTube user Thoughty2 goes into great—and disturbing—detail about what exactly makes the tree so dangerous.

As it turns out, almost every part of the manchineel is potentially lethal. Its fruit can make your throat close up, its sap causes blisters and blinding pain, and even its bark—when burned—can cause blindness. As fascinating as it is terrifying, the manchineel was long used by the indigenous people of the Caribbean to make poison arrows, and may have even been responsible for the death of famed explorer Juan Ponce de Leon in the 16th century. Check out Thoughty2’s video above to learn more about the manchineel—but be forewarned, the images of manchineel-induced injuries are not for the faint of heart.

[h/t Digg]