This tree is not your friend

[Bob]

Trees that could kill, really?

(extracts from various websites - i.e. Manchineel, https://adventure.howstuffworks.com/...us-plants1.htm , https://www.atlasobscura.com/article...anchineel-tree )

Do Not Eat, Touch, Or Even Inhale the Air Around the Manchineel Tree

"Would you believe that there's a tree so poisonous that you don't actually have to touch it to be harmed? It's called the manchineel tree (Hippomane mancinella), found throughout the Florida Everglades, Central America and the Caribbean. Inhaling sawdust or smoke from the 30-foot (9.1-meter) tall tree may result in a variety of uncomfortable side effects, including coughing, laryngitis and bronchitis.

"Some reports suggest that simply standing beneath the tree during a rainstorm and being splashed by runoff may result in rashes and itching. Your car isn't even safe from this toxic tree: Park under its low branches, and dripping sap can seriously damage the paint.

"Direct contact with the manchineel tree is far more hazardous. Its milky sap can squirt from the tree when twigs are snapped off, painfully irritating the skin and eyes. Ingestion of the deceptively sweet, crabapple-like fruits is known to blister the mouth and cause the throat to swell shut, then inflict severe gastrointestinal problems. These harmful effects result from the toxin hippomane A and B, which are present in every part of the tree.

"The manchineel tree sometimes grows near the beach, giving it another of its common names, "beach apple."

[..] it is rumored to have killed the famed explorer, Juan Ponce de Leon.

This is the manchineel, known sometimes as the beach apple, or more accurately in Spanish-speaking countries as la manzanilla de la muerte, which translates to “the little apple of death,” or as arbol de la muerte, “tree of death.”

"The specific toxins found in this sap and in the fruits remain partially unknown, but not unused. The aboriginal peoples of the Caribbean were familiar with the tree and used it for many purposes; the sap, in particular, was used to tip arrows. “It is believed that the Calusa used it in that manner to kill Juan Ponce de Leon on his second trip to Florida in 1521,” says Hammer.

"Manchineel is a member of a family of plants known as the spurges. (The name comes from “purge,” because, although all these plants have toxic sap, the toxicity varies, and some can be used as a laxative.) Spurges are found worldwide, in various forms, ranging from tiny herb-like plants to large bushes and trees. Manchineel is one of the largest, reaching up to 50 feet in height, but despite its dangerous reputation is not the most famous—that’d be the poinsettia, the manchineel’s more festive cousin."

Source: https://youtube.com/watch?v=ouLCemv0Kc4

[Cardillac]

@Bob

hey, Bob, I guess trees are just like us human beings; most are nice but some are to be enjoyed with caution; I guess it depends on which condition the tree/human being is in the moment-

if one has read Peter Wohlleben's book "The Sercret Life of Trees" it seems trees are more than they seem to be- is a current thread on Avalon-

Wohlleben (a German forrester) didn't mention in his book the tree you mentioned (probably because it's not indigenous to Europe) but if one ventures into the Everglades (most physically dangerous part of US; now add the venemous coral snake) one needs to wear thick, long water-tight boots and a thick hat (thanks to tree you mentioned)-

I think I'll stay at home :-)))

be well-

Larry

[Bob]

From the lead page on the St. Croix website - https://www.gotostcroix.com/plants-a...es-manchineel/

Enjoy our beaches, but....

Description:
Manchineel is a tree that reaches up to 50 feet high with a greyish bark.

The leaves are simple, alternate, and glossy, with pointed tips, a rounded base, and smooth or slightly toothed edges. The veins have similar parts arranged on each side with a single conspicuous main vein, which ‘bleeds’ a milky white sap in young foliage if broken.

Each tree carries both a male and female flower, usually inconspicuous. The fruit or ‘apples’, are very poisonous and are usually plentiful. They are about 1 to 1.5 inches in diameter and green, turning yellow before dropping, with the odor of apples. Inside is a large pithy pulp with a single large, bumpy, wood-like seed at the center.

The manchineel tree can be found near to and on coastal beaches.

It provides excellent natural windbreaks and its roots stabilize the sand which helps to prevent beach erosion.

Toxicity:
The leaves, bark, sap and fruit contain toxins that can be extremely harmful to individuals once they come into contact with them.

The fruit is reported to have a sweet smell and pleasant taste; however, the tiniest piece ingested will cause blistering of the mouth and throat.

Do not picnic under it or handle the broken vegetation.

The milky white sap can cause permanent blindness if gotten into the eyes, and severe burns on the skin elsewhere.

Standing beneath the tree during rain will cause blistering of the skin from mere contact with this liquid. Burning the tree may also cause blindness if the smoke reaches the eyes.

Columbus recorded the first record of its poisonous nature, when his men had died after their encounter with it.

The Carib Indians used the sap of this tree to poison their arrows and would tie captives to the trunk of the tree, ensuring a slow and painful death.

The Caribs were also known to poison the water supply of their enemies using the manchineel leaves.

From https://boards.cruisecritic.com/show....php?t=1168266-

Spring break, cruising the Islands, and landing on a beach and finding out "it burns !"

Poisonous manchineel tree & other unsafe things in the Caribbean

I was shocked at this tree, I am sure if I were in need of shelter during a rain storm I would have hidden under one of these..

There is another "fruit" in barbados from trees near the beach that causes a very itchy painful rash if touched. The beach we went to after snorkeling had them all over the place and we were warned not to touch them or step on them. They never gave us a name for them though...they were small golf ball sized & green to dark brown in color. I spent about 3 minutes on the beach and then went back and got on the catamaran because there were so many I didn't want to chance it.

boy this brings back memories. i was in barbados a number of years ago and at that time they had a small, plain sign that just said "poison". i figured if i didn't eat any of the tree i would be ok. well one day i was sitting under the tree and a small rain cloud came over. the next day i was on a dive in 100ft. of water and got sick and almost didn't make it back.

Adam's reaction after exposure to the tree:

Source: https://youtube.com/watch?v=364GFrNa3wA

Adam had gotten some of the sap on his hands and wiped his eyes ever so slightly..

In some places it is reported that there are park benches positioned under the trees..

How come I wonder? (Curaçao)

[Bob]

Literary and artistic references

William Ellis, ship's surgeon for James Cook on his third and final voyage, wrote: "On the fourth, a party of men were sent to cut wood, as the island apparently afforded plenty of that article; amongst other trees they unluckily cut down several of the manchineel, the juice of which getting into their eyes, rendered them blind for several days."

Alexandre Exquemelin, author of the book The Buccaneers of America writes of his experience with the "tree called mancanilla, or dwarf-apple-tree" when in Hispaniola (modern day Haiti/Dominican Republic): "One day being hugely tormented with mosquitoes or gnats, and as yet unacquainted with the nature of this tree, I cut a branch thereof, to serve me instead of a fan, but all my face swelled the next day and filled with blisters, as if it were burnt to such a degree that I was blind for three days." The young first-person narrator in Sid Fleischman's famous pirate-ship tale "The Ghost in the Noonday Sun" also encounters this tree in like fashion, breaking a branch from the tree to swish biting insects, and soon suffering similar devastating consequences that last for several days.

Nicholas Cresswell, in his journal entry for Friday, September 16, 1774, mentions: "The Mangeneel Apple has the smell and appearance of an English Apple, but small, grows on large trees, generally along the Seashore. They are rank poison. I am told that one apple is sufficient to kill 20 people. This poison is of such a malignant nature that a single drop of rain or dew that falls from the tree upon your skin will immediately raise a blister. Neither Fruit or Wood is of any use, that I can learn."

Rodolphe, a character in Gustave Flaubert's Madame Bovary (1857, Part 2, Chapter XIII), refers to the "poisonous shade of the fatal manchineel tree" in a letter to Emma Bovary: Nor had I reflected upon this at first, and I rested in the shade of that ideal happiness as beneath that of the manchineel tree, without foreseeing the consequences.

In Giacomo Meyerbeer's opera L'Africaine (1865), the heroine Sélika dies by inhaling the perfume of the poisonous blossoms of the manchineel tree.

In the story "The Beckoning Hand" (in the 1887 collection of that name) by Grant Allen, manchineel is used in a cigarette to poison the smoke.

The tree is recorded as the world's most dangerous tree by the Guinness World Records.

reference:
http://www.wikiwand.com/en/Manchineel
https://species.wikimedia.org/wiki/Hippomane_mancinella

When ingested, the fruit is reportedly "pleasantly sweet" at first, with a subsequent "strange peppery feeling ..., gradually progress[ing] to a burning, tearing sensation and tightness of the throat". Symptoms continue to worsen until the patient can "barely swallow solid food because of the excruciating pain and the feeling of a huge obstructing pharyngeal lump".

In the French Antilles the trees are often marked with a painted red band a few feet above the ground.

On Bonaire, however, trees are unmarked. ref - https://vacationidea.com/florida/manchineel-tree.html

Bonaire was part of the Netherlands Antilles until the country's dissolution in 2010, when the island became a special municipality.

Bonaire website - http://www.tourismbonaire.com/bonaire-nature (tourists are not alerted to this tree nor hazards,, a search for manchineel on the tourist page revealed no hits)

Travel down this path may be hazardous - - on Curaçao, when it rains don't seek shelter under the manchineel..

[integralpart]

Thanks for sharing, Jesus, I think I saw this tree few times on my Thailand trip. Or maybe it's just a similar type of tree...don't know.

[Bob]

There appears to be references to mancinella occurrences in SE Asia, and Asia (an introduced plant, not native to the area) - Possibly it was inadvertently introduced in hopes of controlling erosion.

In addition another tree of the Sumac family, called Melanorrhoea usitata.

the Burma Lac Tree - note the similarity of the leaves and "apple-like" fruit.. is present.



Tall deciduous tree, twigs and leaves hairy, blossoms white, flowering from January to March. Stone fruit (drupe) reddish and fleshy, approx. 1 cm in diameter. The tree is sometimes cultivated for the black Burma Lacquer which is gathered from the bark.

Effects: Allergizing and chemically skin-irritating. The smoke of the burning wood can also be dangerous.

Treatment Measures: Corticosteroid ointment, medical attention, Tetanus prophylaxis.

Posted by integralpart (here)
Thanks for sharing, Jesus, I think I saw this tree few times on my Thailand trip. Or maybe it's just a similar type of tree...don't know.

ref: http://mic-ro.com/plants/#Hippomane mancinella

[Bob]

As a short related aside in discussing the most poisonous tree manchineel we could add one in particular which appears on the islands, like Tonga..

The commonality besides its ability to kill from the tree's sap, is that the tree bleeds a type of latex.

Upas

Moraceae family (Mulberry family)
Synonyms: Antiaris, Ipoh

Other scientific names: Upas

Moraceae family (Mulberry family)
Synonyms: Antiaris, Ipoh

Other scientific names: Upas antiar Lesch.

Occurrence: Tropical Asia, east to Timor.
Notably Java, Sulawesi and the islands nearby. Tonga.
Tropical Africa south to Angola and Zambia.

Description: Large evergreen tree up to 75 m tall, often with buttresses at the base of the trunk. Fruits reddish, fleshy, velvety, 20 x 13 mm, on a 10 mm long stalk, containing 1 seed each. Highly poisonous, milk-white or yellowish latex in leaves and bark. It turns brownish and waxy when exposed to air.

Effects: The milky latex is highly poisonous. It partially dissolves in alcohol. On some individuals it causes swellings and eruptions on the skin. Small doses in the bloodstream act upon the vasomotor centers, producing increased arterial tension. Larger doses can paralyze the heart muscle and result in death. A skin abrasion caused by a broken branch can already kill a person, and the wood of this tree is definitely unsuitable as building material. The latex (also called Ipoh in Malay) was traditionally used by hunters to prepare poisoned arrows.

Treatment Measures: [Not described in literature.] Immediate washing of the skin with water and soap should help removing the latex.

The idea of "hugging a tree" may be an interesting concept, but one could find oneself quite ill, and dead, being fertilizer for the tree. A case where tree hugging is ill-advised.

[dynamo]

Sounds to me as though perhaps this tree was designed with it's main purpose being to preserve the sandy soil from being washed away.
Deadly to us but excellent for the seashore and it's environment.
Respect it and admire it, it is serving a purpose.

[Tam]

I remember hearing a while back about some crazy trees that early explorers and some remote-wilderness campers reported. Of course, nobody believed them, because here's what the tree would supposedly do: it would electrocute animals that got too close, and use the nutrients from decomposition to feed itself.

Supposedly, these men came across this weird looking tree in rural, rural South America, iirc.

They noticed a ring around the tree where no vegetation would grow, and a series of dead animals in various stages of decay littered throughout the area. There were also a number of dead birds skewered on the branches of their tree, seemingly singed.

The whole tree gave off this sweet scent that they assumed is what attracted the animals. The thing is, when you got too close, the roots of the tree would electrocute the ground in that immediate area. One of the men suffered considerable injuries, I believe.

I found an article referencing this tree I heard about. It also mentions some other crazy trees, including some that exsanguinated prey. Creepy.

http://mysteriousuniverse.org/2018/0...st-to-history/

[amor]

I was told by a native of the Caribbean that sea water is used to counteract, to some extent, the burning of the manchineel tree. My brother nearly ate the fruit when he was very young; my parents caught him just in time.

[Bob]

But I LOVE trees - why shouldn't I hug one?

Hug a fir tree, sit beside it to get 'health' again.. it's all "plant life" and we should love it all, right?

Let's get briefly into some lesser poisonous trees, seemingly innocuous and absolutely no apparent indication that they would be harmful to large animals..

from: http://veterinaryteam.dvm360.com/top...-large-animals -- a poison helpline resource - Do you know the clinical signs of these tree-related toxicoses and how to help affected patients?

why aren't trees our benovalent friends?

Trees provide shelter, shade and wind breaks for large animals but may also be a contributing cause of illness. Typically, animals with adequate nutrition will not browse foliage or ingest leaves or seeds, but drought, storms resulting in fallen branches, curiosity or boredom may result in their consumption.

The top five trees poisonous to large animals are the red maple, oak, box elder, chokecherry and black walnut. Careful attention must be paid to animals pastured close to these trees, and every effort must be made to prevent access. Pastures should be examined, especially after storms, and fallen limbs, branches and leaves should be removed. The black walnut tree itself is not toxic, but shavings made from it are and should not be used as horse bedding.

What a beautiful tree !

Fall hazard: The dry or wilted leaves of red maple trees are toxic for up to four weeks after they fall from the tree.

1. Red maple (Acer rubrum)

Red maple trees are commonly found in the northern and eastern parts of the United States. Dry or wilted leaves from these trees are poisonous for up to four weeks after falling from the tree. Horses ingesting 1 to 3 lb of dry or wilted leaves/450 kg of body weight may show clinical signs within a day.1,2 Common signs include anorexia, pale mucous membranes, red to brown urine, an increased respiratory rate and recumbency. Hemoglobin, the cause of the discolored urine, is toxic to the kidneys and can cause acute renal damage with little or no urine production.

The toxin in red maples is unknown but is suspected to be a gallotannin present within the wilted and dried leaves that is metabolized to pyrogallol by intestinal bacteria.3 This toxin, once absorbed, causes reactive oxidation of red blood cells (RBCs), RBC lysis, methemoglobinemia and the formation of Heinz bodies. The decrease in the number (acute hemolytic anemia) and oxygen-carrying capacity (methemoglobinemia) of circulating RBCs causes a severe lack of oxygen delivery and poor perfusion. Horses can die from the secondary effects of poor perfusion as well as acute renal failure.

Diagnosis is based on a combination of ingestion history, clinical signs and laboratory analysis. There is not a specific test for the toxin itself, but renal and liver enzyme activities are often elevated, and Heinz body formation is present on a blood smear. Hemolytic anemia is evident, with a decrease in packed cell volume (PCV) in the face of a normal total plasma protein concentration.

Activated charcoal and mineral oil administered by nasogastric tube should be used for decontamination in an acute exposure. More often, however, horses are not treated until after signs have developed. It is vitally important that these horses not be stressed and that treatment is administered in a calm manner. The judicious use of intravenous fluids will promote excretion of toxins and help decrease the onset of kidney damage. If the PCV is low or falling rapidly, administer blood products before fluids. Furosemide may be helpful in horses with decreased urine output. Vitamin C may be used to stabilize RBCs, and oxygen therapy may be needed in cases of severe respiratory distress.

Damn, I would pile up red maple leaves and roll in them, hiding under the piles in hide and seek when I was very young.. Hardly did I realize I was getting ill from exposure.. I just didn't know !

2. Oak (Quercus species)

Oak trees, well distributed throughout the eastern half of the United States, are poisonous to all large animal species. Oak poisoning occurs most often in cows and calves and less so in sheep and horses. Goats have tannin-binding proteins in their saliva that allow them to tolerate higher amounts than cows and sheep. Tasty green buds in the spring and green or sprouted acorns in the fall are sources of the toxin; the tree’s toxicity does not decrease with drying or freezing. Poisoning is associated with the ingestion of large amounts of buds or young leaves and acorns over a two- to three-day period.

The signs observed depend on the particular species and amount ingested. In ruminants, early signs include anorexia, dullness, rumen atony and constipation. Feces are often hard and covered with mucus but may be black and fluid-filled if hemorrhagic enteritis has developed. Later signs are associated with kidney and liver damage and include dehydration, icterus, hematuria and polyuria. Death may occur three to seven days after ingestion. In horses, the toxins primarily affect the gastrointestinal (GI) tract, causing anorexia, colic, bloody diarrhea and, less commonly, kidney damage.

I can't fathom that such a beautiful tree would harbor so much danger. I would gladly gleefully even crush the buds because of the smell was so beautiful. I just couldn't figure out tho why I was developing awful allergies.. I can't say I tried more than one or two acorns, but it was interesting as a kid, trying all the product from trees..

I don't recall experiencing Box Elder.. here is the data on that..

3. Box elder (Acer negundo)

Box elder trees are widespread throughout North America and found in and surrounding many pastures. The seeds pose a serious and often fatal threat to horses. The toxic dose is not yet well-defined, but ingestion of as few as 165 seeds could cause toxicosis.4 It is important to note that further investigation needs to be undertaken as the variation in the amount of toxin per seed, seed maturity and environmental conditions can dramatically affect the total amount of toxin ingested.

Ingestion of box elder seeds, which contain the toxin hypoglycin A, has been associated with the onset of seasonal pasture myopathy, a syndrome affecting horses in the fall. The toxin has also been isolated from seeds of the European sycamore maple tree (Acer pseudoplatanus). This tree is found in northern European pastures where horses have died of atypical myopathy, a syndrome similar to seasonal pasture myopathy.

In affected horses, significant necrosis of the respiratory and postural muscles occurs. Horses are weak and reluctant to move and may exhibit fine muscle tremors. Recumbent horses may not be able to stand without assistance. Urine is often dark brown to red. The respiratory rate is rapid, and breathing is difficult by 48 hours after ingestion. Death occurs at 72 hours in 75 percent of affected horses. Those horses not as severely affected show signs of stiffness, lethargy, ataxia and muscle weakness within three days of ingestion.

Common risk factors for poisoning not only include the presence of box elder trees within or near pastures, but also overgrazed and sparse pastures, little supplemental feeding of hay or grain and prolonged turnout time. There is no treatment; horses should not be grazed on pastures with box elder trees.

Luckily I missed this one too..

An efficient killer: Sudden death is often the first sign of chokecherry exposure in ruminants, horses and swine. (Photo courtesy of Dr. Lynn Hovda.)

4. Chokecherry (Prunus virginiana)

Chokecherry trees, along with other Prunus species (wild cherry, apricots, peaches and cherry laurel), are often found adjacent to pastures as windbreaks or ornamental trees or shrubs. Members of this group pose a deadly hazard to all ruminants, horses and swine. The toxins, cyanide glycosides, are found in the leaves and seeds of the plants but not in the fresh fruit. Ruminants are more sensitive because of the rapid break down and absorption of cyanide by the rumen.

The most common clinical sign is sudden death within minutes to a few hours after ingestion. Most often animals are just found dead in the field, but tremors and twitching progressing to prolonged seizures and death have been observed. The antidote, an intravenous combination of sodium nitrite and sodium thiosulfate, is rarely used because of the rapid onset of intoxication.

These trees should not be planted in or near pastures, and any existing trees or shrubs should be removed. Trimmings should not be fed or disposed of in a pasture where animals have access to them.

This one I was into as well as horse chestnut.. Just had to try it....

5. Black walnut (Juglans nigra)

Black walnut trees are commonly found in the eastern half of the United States, and the wood can be prized for woodworking potential. However, shavings made from black walnut wood and used as bedding for horses are considered poisonous. The toxin within the black walnut shavings is unknown but was originally thought to be juglone. Experimental attempts to recreate the effects through topical or oral ingestion of juglone have been unsuccessful. Bedding contaminated with 20 percent or more of black walnut shavings has been shown to cause clinical signs. Aged or old wood shavings are both toxic, but shavings exposed to air for more than a month are less harmful.

Stocking up and early signs of laminitis (shifting legs, warm hoof walls, digital pulses) appear within 24 hours of exposure to bedding. They are generally reversible if the horse is removed from the bedding at this point. Neck and shoulder sweating, colic, fever and painful laminitis (egg shell stance, hot feet, pounding digital pulses, reluctance to move, recumbency) occur after continued exposure. Fatalities are uncommon but can be seen with laminitis complications such as coffin bone rotation in some horses.

Treatment includes removing the horses from the contaminated bedding and providing supportive care including pain management and farrier intervention if needed. Bedding should be purchased from a reputable dealer knowledgeable in horse husbandry.

-------

Although the references are from a Vet's perspective, for dealing with larger animals having come in contact with and foraging on the trees, leaves, and products from the trees, children are all too eager to pick up and experiment (taste) what's present. Of course how could a "tree" harm us? They ARE are friends are they not?

[Bob]

Could a tree make it hard for other plants or trees around it to survive?

It seems so.

Black walnut (Juglans nigra), and to a lesser extent butternut (Juglans cinerea), a closely-related species, produce a toxic substance that can be harmful to nearby plants.

The trees produce the toxin juglone, which inhibits respiration in susceptible plants, causing growth to be retarded, stunted, or deformed.

This is the tree's "survival of the fittest" strategy, and to use this chemical warfare technique to keep any other plants from taking the nutrients that the black walnut tree wants for itself.

The effects will linger in the soil for years after the black walnut has been removed, since juglone is not highly water soluble.

Compatible trees:

Apple trees can't tolerate the juglone produced by the black walnut trees.

Fruit trees called "Stone fruits", like peaches, nectarines, plums and cherries, are able to grow. Many types of pears also appear to tolerate the juglone from the black walnut.

Tomatoes will not survive with a black walnut tree.

Other plants that are highly negatively affected by the juglone from the black walnut:

(notice how far away from the black walnut the "kill zone" extends)

Potato, blackberry, blueberry, azalea, mountain laurel, rhododendron, and red pine, may be stunted or killed within one to two months when planted within the root zone of these trees.

The toxic zone from a mature tree occurs on average in a 50 to 60 foot radius from the trunk, but can be up to 80 feet.

The area affected extends outward each year as a tree enlarges. Young trees 2- to 8-feet high can have a root diameter twice the height of the tree, with susceptible plants dead within the root zone area and plant dying at the margins of the root zone.

If you have a black walnut (or the variants of it), it wants to rule its immediate surroundings. A grove of black walnuts most certainly would dominate. I wonder what a black walnut tree would do with a manchineel? (or visa versa).

Close-up of nut pod cluster:

After the leaves have fallen:

With the outer husk/hull removed, inside there is an additional hard shell:

Here is a movie showing the harvesting of the black walnut nut,
from the outer green husk to the final product - (about 5 minutes 17 seconds running time)

Source: https://youtube.com/watch?v=XVZ4DDfzSGE

Humans wanting to eat the nut from the black walnut tree will most likely consider the black walnut's produce "friendly".. Horses though and other plants/trees may not consider this tree to be a "friend" (due to the juglone toxin).

[Bob]

I've seen these trees in many places of the US and UK - ‘False Acacia’ , or the Black Locust, or scientifically : Robinia pseudoacacia

What a beautiful tree, planted all throughout old England and variants in select private gardens..

( above, Robinia Pseudoacacia var. Frisia in Barnsbury )

Lining Bedford Row

How could there be any danger (except from branches falling) we could ask?

Well - Horses, cattle, chickens and children can be affected by the tree.

Toxic Principle
Robin, a lectin (glycoprotein) with similar properties to ricin and abrin found in castor beans and rosary peas respectively. The bark and seeds contain the highest levels. There is considerable variation in the toxicity of the trees depending on their growing conditions. The new growth is most toxic. The toxicity of Robinia neomexicana has not been determined.

Description
Shrub small tree up to 70 feet in height. The trunk is usually straight and the branches, smooth with sharp thorns. Leaves are alternate, pinnate with elliptical leaflets in 3-10 pairs. Drooping clusters of perfumed, white or pink (R. neomexicana) flowers are produced in early summer. The fruits are straight, flat, many seeded brown pods hanging in clusters. The pods of Robinia neomexicana (New Mexico locust) have distinctly hairy pods, and the flowers are pink in color.

Children or pets can pick up the flowers, or seed pods.

These were planted all over where I grew up, and were thick with the horse chestnut trees in the children's park, next to the sandbox, and swing set. Just a perfect invitation for the little kids to pick up the souvenir from the park and take home, or nibble on it on the way back..

What happens with exposure:

Gastrointestinal

Abdominal pain (colic), and constipation followed by diarrhea.

Musculoskeletal

Muscle weakness and posterior ataxia. Horses may develop laminitis.

Treatment
There is no specific treatment. Supportive therapy including activated charcoal via stomach tube, and intravenous fluids to combat dehydration and shock in severe cases.

Respiratory System

Rapid respirations

Ocular System

Dilated pupils

Diagnostic Tests

Diagnosis of black locust poisoning is based on the clinical signs, and evidence that the bark or new growth of the tree has been eaten. There is no readily available means of detecting robin in the tissues of animals poisoned with black locust. Post mortem findings are not specific.

Special Notes

Black locust should not be planted as a shade tree in or around livestock enclosures.

Robinia seed pods in Autumn

I collected these in the Autumn since I had never seen the Maple trees make these unique seed pods - obviously thinking something 'special' was there (how did a 7 year old know any better?)

[ramus]

I grew up on Oahu Hawaii for 18 years, every year a main-lander would die that the hands of the poinsettia, a beautiful tree with lovely flowers. The main-landers (continental U.S.) would cut the branches and cook over a fire hot dogs. The tree has a milk looking sap, which got into the hot dogs, the milk was very poisonous. I was told that any plant with milk looking sap was to be avoided.