Biscayne National Park, Florida–An abundant and beautiful tree in the Biscayne National Park has a sting. Like poison ivy and poison oak, the poisonwood tree can leave a nasty rash on anyone who brushes against it.
Bob Showler of the National Park Service gave volunteers and rookies like myself a lesson about the poisonwood tree at the bioblitz today.
I have no intention of straying off the park’s trails while I am here, so hopefully I won’t be coming into contact with this tree. The ferocious mosquitoes are enough of a hazard for me.
Watch Showler talk about poisonwood in this video. Apparently some animals are immune to its toxins–they even eat it!
Posted by David Braun