Chapter Seven: Time and Place

I have been buzzing with a sense of accomplishment this week. Roughly a year ago I managed to obtain Hippomane mancinella seeds and have been cultivating them ever since. This particular fruit tree is native to Mesoamerica and the Caribbean Sea Islands and so it’s taken time to create the perfect environment for it to flourish in, and after months of hard work, the tree is finally bearing fruit!

Now, it’s not the fruit from this tree that is of interest to me. The manchineel tree is also known as the Tree of Death or the Chamomile of Death. While the fruit smells heavenly and has the appearance of a mini apple, the tree is highly toxic. It’s actually considered the most dangerous tree in the world. The tree itself produces a milky sap that contains phorbol, an organic compound that when exposed to the skin can feel like someone is setting your skin on fire, to the point it can even cause blisters and eruptions in the epidermis. However, if the sap is ingested it will lead to severe vo