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Health

‘The Little Apple of Death’: See the Super-Poisonous Tree Glenn Beck Encountered on Vacation

Jan. 21, 2013 10:47am Mike Opelka

This past weekend, Glenn Beck encountered a rather innocent-looking apple tree while on an anniversary trip that is officially one of the “world’s 10 deadliest plants.”

Beck encounters death apples in Caribbean

Image: GlennBeck.com

The manchineel tree (Hippomane mancinella), also known as the “little apple of death,” is native to many Caribbean islands and is also found in parts of Florida. On his radio show Monday, Beck shared a story about his casual encounter with the highly poisonous plant during a trip to a tropical island to celebrate his anniversary.

Here’s the warning sign that first caught media mogul’s attention when he stopped to photograph a large hive hanging from the tree:

Image: GlennBeck.com

After seeing the stern warning sign about these “death apples,” Beck researched the tree and discovered that even the slightest contact with it could cause:

Blistering skin
Nausea
Vomiting
Diarrhea
Seizures
Death

Standing under the manchineel tree during a rain storm is also not advised. Droplets of rainwater from the leaves could produce burning and blistering skin. Burning branches and leaves from the manchineel tree makes a smoke that is capable of causing blindness and breathing the fumes can make throats swell up and close..

The website io9 grades the manchineel as the 3rd deadliest plant in the world and they advise avoiding it at all costs:

Basically, don’t mess with the manchineel; there’s a reason it’s called “the little apple of death.” You won’t like it, and it definitely doesn’t like you.

Just a normal vacation for Glenn Beck.

(H/T: GlennBeck.com)

In CONTROL, Glenn Beck presents a passionate, fact-based case for guns that reveals why gun control isn’t really about controlling guns at all; it’s about controlling us. Find out more HERE.

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Comments (68)

Mr.Fitnah
Posted on January 21, 2013 at 3:40pm
So where can you get seeds for this thing ?

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- John Galt Fla
  Posted on January 21, 2013 at 5:31pm
  LOL, you can not as it is quite illegal to bring them through customs. In St. Lucia they called them “Tourist Trees” because the Euros would fall asleep under them and the sap would drip on them giving them a nasty red sunburn like rash. I’ve hiked in the islands and you see them everywhere so it’s just like any other environment; you learn to adapt and avoid the hazards. Now during an afternoon thundershower, breaking the habit of running under the trees is a bear but once you learn about which plants are safe, it is not biggie. Hiking several miles up and down some of those mountains in the rain though, ugh.
  
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Imprimatur
Posted on January 21, 2013 at 2:58pm
Isn’t this an integral ingredient of the lefty apple flavored kool aid?

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Larry E
Posted on January 21, 2013 at 2:39pm
Stuff like this makes me happy that I’ve never really had any desire to visit the tropics. I’ll stay where I am and just keep an eye out for rattlesnakes, and the odd grizzly, mountain lion, or Canadjun wolf that might wander through looking for lunch.

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- donsfirstwife
  Posted on January 21, 2013 at 3:07pm
  Tried Arizona when hubby had to go there on a job. Didn’t like all the bugs and spiders and illegals. Will be glad to stay up north where winter kills a lot of bad stuff.
  
  Report this comment
- MMSands
  Posted on January 21, 2013 at 11:16pm
  Don’t forget the scorpions in the tropics and sub tropics, whether desert or rain forest.
  
  Report this comment
countrykat
Posted on January 21, 2013 at 2:29pm
What do you love about Amercia? Dude! Anything? Or are you just the typical loser atheist?

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- Mephisto
  Posted on January 21, 2013 at 3:01pm
  Beck’s not an atheist, he’s a Jehovah’s Witness, commonly referred to as a Latter Day Saint. In other words, a Mormon.
  
  Report this comment
- EgbertThrockmorton
  Posted on January 21, 2013 at 3:12pm
  @Mephisto,
  sorry pal, your “information” is false. Jehovah’s Witnesses are NOT LDS slang term “Mormon”. Beck is not a JW, he belongs to the Church of Jesus Christian of Latter Day Saints.(LDS or Mormon). BIG difference, not any to you of course, since you are not a believer, nor do you appear to have any belief in any Diety, greater than yourself.
  
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- SR1911man
  Posted on January 21, 2013 at 3:57pm
  Try again. It is The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Nice try though. :)
  
  Report this comment
lawrench
Posted on January 21, 2013 at 2:22pm
Interesting that you bash GB for a vacation, but do not bash the President for his Multi-Million dollar vacations. I am also sure that if you had a tragedy in your past like GB’s mother, you would want an idiot making light of it as well.

You are part of the problem with this society, you have no idea when to keep your thoughts to yourself. You have turned an interesting story into hatred.

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john141714
Posted on January 21, 2013 at 2:21pm
LOL you make me laugh. enough said

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GoodStuff
Posted on January 21, 2013 at 2:20pm
And this is why no one takes athiests seriously anymore.

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Beachbaby
Posted on January 21, 2013 at 2:18pm
How awesome is that! Thanks for showing that. I was in Belize and this guide gave us a tattoo from a tree that the indians used for face paint. Loved it! Thanks to Cave Tubing for that awesome event. Its people like theirs that make life a wonder.

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- FoxholeAtheist
  Posted on January 21, 2013 at 3:17pm
  Glenn chose to go out of the country for a vacation rather than to spend it somewhere in the United States. Then he turns around and talks a big game about fixing the economy. How awesome is that?
  
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FoxholeAtheist
Posted on January 21, 2013 at 2:01pm
Too bad the only person who will get to ride the rides is the dear leader Glenneth Beck himself.

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SREGN
Posted on January 21, 2013 at 1:08pm
No, just your mom. See, I can out-juvenile you.

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DZ-015
Posted on January 21, 2013 at 1:02pm
Aholeatheist: Nice post, troll.

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- DZ-015
  Posted on January 21, 2013 at 2:24pm
  I see that the original post was removed. Good call editors!
  
  Report this comment
- FoxholeAtheist
  Posted on January 21, 2013 at 3:00pm
  What? You mean the post I put up about Glenn Beck’s 2 Billion dollar idea for a theme park dedicated to re-educating other peoples’ children? That’s called a cult. What happens in a cult? The lead gets to make it with your wife.
  
  Report this comment
ellietoo
Posted on January 21, 2013 at 12:49pm
I wanted to see the hive! How about a shot of the monster hive?

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Chrisrob63
Posted on January 21, 2013 at 12:46pm
From the way I interpreted the article headline, I thought Glenn had taken a bite and gotten sick or something. At least he is okay.

I always remember to never eat the mushrooms or the yellow snow.

People do dumb stuff like that all the time, and end up sick or dead from eating poisonous plants or fruit. Remember Euell Gibbens? Always talking about “wild hickory nuts”(as opposed to tame ones) when endorsing Grape Nuts cereal.

Well, even as an “expert”, he got careless, and died from eating a poisonous plant or something.

Sadly, the punchline always is the same: the Doctor said, “Don’t do that.”

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- Bobj_1960
  Posted on January 21, 2013 at 1:26pm
  Gibbons died on December 29, 1975, at Sunbury Community Hospital in Sunbury, Pennsylvania. His death was the result of a ruptured aortic aneurysm, a complication from Marfan syndrome.
  
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- FoxholeAtheist
  Posted on January 21, 2013 at 3:06pm
  Don’t worry. They have universal health care there so he will be fine.
  
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- Melika
  Posted on January 21, 2013 at 3:49pm
  Wow, really? Why all the ill-informed hate for Euell Gibbons? That guy’s books helped me not starve to death in college while the baby’s mamas were eating high on the hog. He was 64 when he died – lots of people die in their 60′s, and he died from a normal medical condition. Not by eating something and being poisoned. Furthermore, there is a difference between “wild” products and cultivated ones. Usually the cultivated products are larger, blemish free, and tasteless. The plants themselves are differentiated in taxonomy because there is so much difference.
  It’s a shame you’ve never experienced the flavor of wild blueberries, raspberries, mushrooms, and strawberries (to name a few). The flavor is unmatched in store-bought produce.
  
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- Chrisrob63
  Posted on January 22, 2013 at 2:53am
  Oops! My mistake. I did some checking and, apparently, it was a rumor that his death was caused from eating wild mushrooms. My dad also died of a ruptured aorta.
  
  My apologies for passing on an urban legend and unknowingly keeping it going. I was also fooled at one time, as a kid, that Mel Blanc, the master of cartoon voices had passed away, but later found that he was still alive at that time. He later really did pass, which was very sad for me, as I love the old WB cartoons.
  
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South Philly Boy
Posted on January 21, 2013 at 12:32pm
Sounds like the apple Eve ate

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- sillyfreshness
  Posted on January 21, 2013 at 12:46pm
  Poison Ivy will do the same thing when burned.
  
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SimpleTruths
Posted on January 21, 2013 at 12:30pm
Why is this newsworthy?

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- jungle J
  Posted on January 21, 2013 at 12:47pm
  Are you so difficult that you don’t get the fact that this is a news and info site…grow up.
  
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- dadadadio
  Posted on January 21, 2013 at 12:48pm
  This is in the ‘News You Can Use’ section.
  
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Skinner
Posted on January 21, 2013 at 12:27pm
Come on Beck! What a whimp! Lets see you out in real outdoors fighting rattlesnakes and bears!

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fdraiden
Posted on January 21, 2013 at 12:10pm
Would make a nice fruit basket for Obummer and his comrades!

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- aki009
  Posted on January 21, 2013 at 12:53pm
  Really? So you’d throw away Constitutional succession just because you don’t like the current occupant of the White House?
  
  I know some find it fun and anxiety relieving to joke about this topic, but realistically the repercussions of someone actually doing such an act would be incredibly bad. First of all, would Mr. Gaffe (aka Biden) be “better” at the job? And would you be comfortable with a left leaning lunatic doing the same to a Republican president at some future point?
  
  Let’s not forget that inefficiency is the price of democracy. But I believe we all agree that there are some great benefits to be had from democracy.
  
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- banjarmon
  Posted on January 21, 2013 at 1:58pm
  Mickey Mouse would be better than BHO!!!
  
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- aki009
  Posted on January 21, 2013 at 3:53pm
  @Banjarmon I agree. But Biden isn’t Mickey Mouse. And please stop associating my childhood hero with the BHO and Biden show.
  
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Jenny Lind
Posted on January 21, 2013 at 12:09pm
Thank you Ranger65 for the info. Wonder what other uses could come from it-has it been really studied or is it to dangerous.

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RIGS
Posted on January 21, 2013 at 11:27am
I know of certain gathering of people where i would like to pass them out for snacks!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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watashbuddyfriend
Posted on January 21, 2013 at 11:11am
Now, let me draw attention to that God did not provide this tree as a casual creation, so, there has to be more to it! There must be some medicinal benefit, which mankind has not discovered, Right?

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- RANGER1965
  Posted on January 21, 2013 at 11:18am
  In very small amounts a heart tonic could be made. A carefully cultivated wall of this would be a superb way of discouraging visitors to your property. As an insinuitive poison it could be put on arrowheads, or a spearpoints to hasten death.
  
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- WarMunger_Al
  Posted on January 21, 2013 at 12:11pm
  imagine what a distilled essential oil of this tree could do…pretty nasty.
  
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- donsfirstwife
  Posted on January 21, 2013 at 3:13pm
  Ranger had a pretty good idea, but instead of personal property (your back yard) how about instead of the usual fence, just have the southern border filled with these trees. Problem is, how could they be planted or transplanted there without causing many casualties getting the job done. Probably easier to electrify the fence. ☺
  
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- WarMunger_Al
  Posted on January 21, 2013 at 10:28pm
  Donsfirstwife-
  
  Hire illegal aliens to plant the trees….Kill two birds with one stone.
  
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SpankDaMonkey
Posted on January 21, 2013 at 11:04am
.
Barry needs another vacation…..

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- grimmster
  Posted on January 21, 2013 at 11:21am
  Lol, took the words right outt of my mouth Spank ;p
  
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Cavallo
Posted on January 21, 2013 at 11:04am
Any beneficial aspects to this plant? Or does it need to be made extinct?

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- RANGER1965
  Posted on January 21, 2013 at 11:16am
  It has some of the same properties as digitalis. In very small amounts it could be used as a heart tonic. The sap can also be put on arrows to hasten death. The problem is that it can’t be used for game, because once the sap is introduced into the bloodstream or a wound it can make the game animal poisonous for consumption.
  
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lid.smoker
Posted on January 21, 2013 at 11:03am
I wonder if you can smoke it’s leaves?

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- RANGER1965
  Posted on January 21, 2013 at 11:12am
  Once.
  
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whatthecrazy
Posted on January 21, 2013 at 10:59am
Shame it wasn’t in the garden of eden.

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- RANGER1965
  Posted on January 21, 2013 at 11:13am
  It is now.
  
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KingCanon
Posted on January 21, 2013 at 10:57am
The LIBERALS bark and fruit are just as caustic!
Just saying…

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