Dynamite tree

There are many strange things in the world. Take, for example, the so-called "dynamite tree", known by the official name of Hura crepitans, or the Sandbox tree. Stay away from it as far as possible if you do not want to accidentally get a serious injury. It is quite obvious that the eloquent nickname was given to the plant for a reason.

What is Hura crepitans tree and where does it grow?

The frankly dangerous Hura tree grows in several parts of our planet. Most often it is found in the thickets of the jungle of South America. In addition, Hura comes across in the forests of western India. The plant belongs to the euphorbia family. Thus, the insidious tree is a fairly close relative of the harmless milkweed (poinsettia), which people keep at home in indoor pots. However, Hura is not like that, at least because the thickness of the trunk of an adult plant can reach 2 meters in the girth.

In appearance, the "dynamite tree" is somewhat reminiscent of lilac. But the plant begins to bloom only after the tree reaches a height of 5 meters. At the same time, the maximum height can reach 25 meters. Thus, Hura is one of the few plants that blooms not by age, but by size. Its crown is very large, spreading. The color of the foliage is green, slightly glossy. The leaves are shaped like hearts.

Another feature of the Hura is a trunk covered with sharp spikes. They allow the tree to protect itself from the encroachments of various animals. However, the main feature of the tree is not in its trunk, but in its fruits, which, after ripening, resemble small pumpkins. It was thanks to them that it got its nickname "dynamite tree", or rather due to the process of plant reproduction. The fact is that the fruits explode with a characteristic clap (pop), shooting seeds into the world around them. The expansion speed can reach 70 m/s. This allows Hura to capture huge areas very quickly.

The icing of this evolutionary cake of madness is the fact that both the juice and the fruit of the Hura are also poisonous. The poison of the "dynamite tree" can hardly kill a person. However, the impact of juice on the human body can provoke severe consequences, including partial deafness, temporary blindness, vomiting, diarrhea. Due to this feature, in ancient times, the local tribes used Hura as a weapon.