From suicide tree to stinging tree: 7 poisonous trees you should never touch

It is common knowledge that trees are the source of our life, with them being creators of food and even fresh air. However, did you know that not all trees are safe? Some trees carry within them deadly poisons that could leave you visiting a hospital for just a touch. These 7 trees are too dangerous to touch.

If there's one tree that is dangerous in its entirety, from the leaves to the fruit, it's the Manchineel tree. Native to the Caribbean coasts, Central and South America, the tree's milky sap and fruit can be extremely toxic, causing burns and blisters. Even inhaling the fumes from the burning leaves can be fatal.

The milky mangroves grow as shrubs or trees and can reach up to 15 metres high. Found in New South Wales, Queensland, Northern Territory and Western Australia, the sap of these trees can cause severe blisters and even temporary blindness if it touches the eye.

A native to the Amazon rainforest and South and North America, the sandbox tree is famous for the pointed spines along its trunk that can cause severe damage when touched. Additionally, the tree also produces poisonous sap that causes skin rashes, and its fruits tend to explode and spread their seeds in different directions. The speed of these seeds can reach up to 240 km per hour, and thus, you must avoid going near the tree at all costs.

A native to India, the Cerbera Odollam tree is also known as the suicide tree, with many people committing suicide by consuming the fruit of the tree. As per a study, the tree is responsible for about 50% of plant poisoning cases in Kerala. Today, the seeds of the tree are used as biopesticides, insect repellents and rat poisons.

You must have touched the flowers of this tree at least once in your life, as they are just so beautiful and can be found almost anywhere. However, did you know that this tree contains poisons such as tropane alkaloids, which can cause severe hallucinations, putting the body into a zombie-like state? Yes, people can get poisoned by touching, inhaling or eating any part of an angel's trumpet.

Gympie Gympie, a tree native to Australia, is also known as the stinging tree. The heart-shaped leaves of this tree are covered with hair-like stings that are full of poison. When touched, the toxins can stay inside the body for up to a year, making a person feel like they are "being burnt with hot acid and electrocuted at the same time."

Native to India, the strychnine tree has strychnine, one of the world's most toxic and bitter substances. Touching any part of this tree can block the transmission of nerve impulses in the spinal cord and cause involuntary spasms that can often be fatal.