ACCORDING TO A U.S. SENIOR DEFENSE OFFICIAL WILL CONTINUE TO TRACK THE ONGOING ATTACK IN
UKRAINE.
>> SOME CALL IT THE DEADLIEST
TREE IN THE WORLD. AND IT’S
RIGHT HERE IN FLORIDA. DO NOT
TOUCH IT. DO NOT EAT IT AND
CERTAINLY DO NOT BURN THE
BRANCHES.
>> OR ELSE. AND WE SENT NEWS 4
JAX REPORTER SCOTT JOHNSON, A
HUNT DOWN SOUTH WHERE HE FOUND
WHERE THE DEADLY MANSION NEIL
TREES GROW.
>> WELL, MARY, LOOK AT THIS.
IF YOU WALK BY, YOU PROBABLY
THINK THIS IS JUST A HARMLESS
TRANNY OLD TREE. WE WOULD
NEVER KNOW WHAT’S ONE OF THE
MOST DANGEROUS PLANTS ON EARTH
AND TRACKING IT DOWN 2 WEEKS.
A PLANE RIDE A ROAD TRIP AND
WE FOUND THE TOXIC TREES
THRIVING AND A POPULAR TOURIST
SPOT.
>> WHEN YOU DRIVE THROUGH THE
FLORIDA KEYS. THE BLUE OF THE
WATER AND THE GREEN OF THE
TREES. THANK YOU. THINK THIS
IS THE PLACE IS FULL OF LIFE.
>> THEY LOOK A LOT LIKE A FIG
LEAF OR EVEN POISON WOULD. BUT
IF YOU LOOK HARD ENOUGH, I
DON’T KNOW HOW TO TELL THE
DIFFERENCE BECAUSE ALTHOUGH
WE’VE SEEN THE LITTLE IN GREEN
TO ME, YOU KNOW, IT’S IT’S
OVERWHELMING. AT FIRST IN THE
DEEP OF THE WOODS ON NO NAME
KEY. YOU WILL SEE THAT THERE’S
A LITTLE TEENY TINY WITH A
COLD TEETH ON THE EDGES. SO
CAN AVERAGE PUBLIC WALK AROUND
THESE THINGS? CERTAINLY,
REALLY MOST OF THEM WALK
AROUND WITHOUT EVER KNOWING
THAT THEY’RE THERE. YOU FIND
SOMETHING MORE LIKELY TO BRING
DEAF SAYING HE BROUGHT SOME
SNIPERS. CAN GOING TO DO THAT?
WELL, WE’RE GOING TO TRY AND
SNIP. THIS WAS A LITTLE TALL
TANGLED AMONG OTHER TREES IS
SOMETHING CALLED THE MANSION.
NEAL MAY BE RETRIED ON THE
OTHER ONE WE CAN YET. RIGHT
NOW. DO WANT TO LIKE HIGH
LEVEL HELPS ITS COURTS AFTER
SOMETHING THAT’S NOT VERY
SMART. CHRISTIE KILLAM AS A
PARK RANGER HERE AT THE
NATIONAL KEY DEER REFUGE WHERE
THEY GROW UNMARKED.
>> WHEN YOU SAY STARTED OUT
HERE, YOU’RE A LOT MORE
CAUTIOUS AROUND THIS. YES,
WELL, OR THE LIKE?
>> WELL, LIKE THEY WOULD GROW
OVER THE TRAILS. THE GUINNESS
BOOK OF WORLD RECORDS CALLS IT
THE WORLD’S MOST DANGEROUS
TREE TO RAINING OUT SOMETHING
LIKE THAT. WHERE MOISTURE
COMES AWFULLY FUN GETS ON YOU,
THEN IT’S A PROBLEM. THEN IT
COULD BE A PROBLEM. SO TO
LEARN MORE ABOUT THIS, FLORIDA
NATIVE, OUR GUARD HERE IS ON
>> THE ANNUAL TROPICAL AUDUBON
SOCIETY’S BIRD COUNT.
>> WE TRAVELED TO THE
OVERGROWN PROPERTY OF ONE OF
SOUTH FLORIDA’S PREEMINENT
TREE EXPERTS. THESE ARE ALL
THINGS YOU. HE PLANTED. YES,
ROGER HAMER HAS STUDIED THE
MANSION DEAL FOR YEARS. I LIKE
TO SPEAK FROM I BROKE A LEAF
OFF OF A TREE.
>> AND TOUCH THE SAP ON MY
WRIST. AND IT BLISTERED UP
FOR. I KEPT THINKING IT WAS
GOING TO GET BETTER. BUT IT
KEPT GETTING REALLY OVER A
PERIOD OF MANY WEEKS.
>> HE WARNS NEVER BREAK A
BRANCH FROM THE MANSION NEIL
TREE OR TEAR APART A LEAF
BECAUSE THIS TINY WHITE
RESIDUE IS THE TREE SAP. HE
EVEN HAD ONE ON HIS PROPERTY
UNTIL WE REALIZED IT WAS
SIMPLY TOO DANGEROUS. HOW DID
YOU REMOVE IT?
>> WITH A CHAINSAW VASELINE ON
MY HANDS AND MY FACE AND MORE
RAIN JACKET AND CUT IT WITH A
CHAINSAW. YOU KNEW THIS IS
SOMETHING IT IN ON A YEAH. YOU
DON’T WANT TO GET THE THE
THAT, YOU KNOW, ALL THE SAUGUS
KNOW THAT THAT WOULD HAVE BEEN
PROBABLY HOSPITAL WE’VE TALKED
ABOUT THE LEAVES. WE’VE TALKED
ABOUT THE SAP. BUT THE ONE
THING THAT’S NOT IN SEASON
THAT WE HAVEN’T TALKED ABOUT.
>> IS THIS THE FRUIT OF THE
MANAGER, NEIL, IF YOU’RE ONE
OF THOSE, IT COULD PUT YOU ON
THE GROUND, POSSIBLY
PERMANENTLY.
>> THE FRUIT OR CALL THEM AND
XENIA DE LA MUERTA DAY OR
LITTLE APPLE OF DEATH.
>> THERE ARE
>> CASES OF FATALITIES FROM
EATING THE FRUITS IN THE
LITERATURE OF SAYS THEY TASTE
SWEET, BUT THEN THEY’LL START
A BURNING SENSATION IN YOUR
THROAT. BEYOND PLACES LIKE NO
NAME KEY IN PARTS OF THE
EVERGLADES. THE TREE IS REALLY
HARD TO FIND BEING THE MOST
INHABITED PLACES HAVE REMOVED
THE MANSION. NEAL, IT’S WEIRD
TO THINK THAT PLANTS COULD BE
FATAL. IT
>> KIND OF A SICK JOKE. I
GUESS.
>> BUT IF EVER IN THE WOODS
SOUTH OF MIAMI JUST KNOW THAT
THERE’S A THREAT OUT THERE
THAT COULD CAUSE BURNING
TEMPORARY BLINDNESS OR EVEN
WORSE.
>> AND SOMETIMES THE TREE
BURNS. AND IF THERE’S A FIRE
FOR WHATEVER REASON, THE SMOKE
IS ALSO TOXIC AND CAN SPREAD
PRETTY FAR. JUST THE SMOKE CAN
CAUSE EYE INJURIES AND DARK
MARY, THERE IS HISTORICAL
BELIEF THAT THE DEATH OF
EXPLORE PONCE DE LEON WILL. HE
WAS KILLED WITH AN ARROW THAT
WAS DIPPED IN THE SAP.
>> MENTIONING ALL, OH, MY
GOSH, SCOTT. I MEAN, YOU’RE
SAYING THAT THE SAP IS DEADLY,
POTENTIALLY, BUT YOU’RE SO
CLOSE TO THE TREE. I MEAN, IS
IT IS IT? IT LOOKED LIKE YOU
WERE CLAD. I DID GO CLOSE
THAT. I ASKED ABOUT THAT MANY
TIMES BEFORE I GOT THERE IS
LIKE IT IS A SAFE TO BE BY. BY
ALL ACCOUNTS, YOU’LL BE OK,
YOU CAN EVEN TOUCH THE BARKER
BRANCH WITHOUT A PROBLEM.
>> BUT IF THE LEAF BREAKS OR
IF YOU GETTING THAT SAP ON
YOU, THAT’S WHEN YOUR SKIN
STARTS BURNING FOR DAYS. IF
NOT WEEKS AND WATCH OUT FOR
THAT FRUIT NO INFORMATION AND