Going on a Caribbean Winter Holiday?

Beware - Terror In The Tropics! 

Lovely Beach scene

 Do you remember what your mother always said before walking into a store – DON’T TOUCH ANYTHING! That really applies here… The islands in the Caribbean are a great place to get away from those pesky winter doldrums. The beaches, the greenery, the warm sand in your toes – what’s not to LOVE !And as long as you stay in the city center you are pretty safe from some of the world’s most poisonous plants! 

Caribbean map

 Many, if not all of the islands in the West Indies from The Bahamas in the North West and The Cayman Islands in the South West all the way down to Trinidad, have poisonous plants. Some are more toxic than others depending on which island you visit and where on the island you walk around in.Most tourists are oblivious to them and rightly so – these plants are rarely found in the common urban areas. But if you are going to venture away from the walking paths, consider yourself warned.For the sake of simplicity and especially considering there are 13,000 plant species in the Caribbean Islands alone – I will focus only on those that are at the top of the list to be super careful about. I have also not included any introduced plants that are not native to the Caribbean. First rule is to always look up Mangos and coconuts are notorious for sporadically detaching from the tree when ripe and coming down with a thump. I can’t image a breadfruit will be any less considerate. I read in a blog that in Guadeloupe folklore says more people die from a coconut landing on their head than from a shark bite. 

Coconut tree

Beware of a tree you might want to shelter under The Manchineel Tree provides great shade and of course they grow right on the beach ! Don’t stand under them – ever! The water dripping on you from a sudden rainstorm will be enough to put you in the hospital. It is the world’s MOST toxic tree. The rash you will get is described as a living hell - and it lingers for days. 

Manchineel tree

don't touch the leaves of the Manchineel !

Avoid the leaves 

Cow itch diagram

 Stizolobium pruriens otherwise know as Cow itch will burn your skin similar to poison ivy. 

Metopium diagram

 The Coral Sumac (Metopium toxiferum) as well as the Manchineel have sap that will burn your skin on contact. Learn to recognize them and avoid them with due diligence. 

toxic holly indeed !

The Christmas bush (Comocladia dodonaea) which resembles holly will quickly burn your skin on contact.

Unfortunately, with any of these three the rash can last for several weeks and will most likely require medical attention. Especially the Christmas bush.Most horribly - ALL can cause temporary blindness if the sap lands in the eyes. 

Tibey tupa

 For those of you going to Puerto Rico there is an endemic plant called Lobelia portoricensis (Tibey tupa) which has sap that causes blindness. I was forewarned of this one decades ago by my Taxonomy professor while in college and studying in the rainforest. Don’t eat unknown fruit

Manchineel fruit

 The Manchineel (Hippomane mancinella) produces a small fruit that look like adorable little apples! Eat one and it might burn a hole through your esophagus. It also causes swelling of the throat and can lead to asphyxia in no time.Its not called death apple for no reason.... 

Rosary Pea and leaves

 That said, those little apples actually comes in second to the toxicity of the Rosary Pea (Abrus precatorius). If eaten, the little red beans will cause nausea, vomiting, convulsions, liver failure, and possibly death. 

Datura

 Jimson weed (Datura Inoxia) … beyond belief that people actually make a tea out the seeds to experience the wild hallucinations it produces. But that should let you know how toxic it can be - delirium, increased heart rate, rapid breathing, amnesia and even Death! Not very common – but all cause an itch !

Feverfew (Parthenium hysterophorus)

Plumeria (Plumeria alba) - beware that milky sap !

Hernandia (Hernandia Sonora) - fruit is also toxic

Nettle (Urera baccifera)

Cashew fruit -  (Anacardium occidentalis)

The fruit is delicious - just don't touch the leaves or the cashew seed at the base !

Stinging vine (Tragia volubilis) - itches for days !

There are many more – but these are the really bad ones to be careful of.

Just remember – when it doubt don’t touch anything !

PLANT SPECIALISTSGREENING NEW YORK FOR OVER 53 YEARS !

   Article written by our Staff Horticulturist, Peter B Morris, BSc, MSc, MBAAll photographs used with permission @SHUTTERSTOCK