The sandbox tree | Unbelievable facts

6.2K views · 15 reactions | Meet the sandbox tree, rightly called the world's most dangerous tree. | Cooking With Vibes | Facebook

Does this strange tree explode?! 🤯 When two distantly related species independently evolve to have similar characteristics, we call that “convergent evolution.” Another example that we could observe with Sandbox tree (Hura crepitans) is that the mechanism by which it produces its “exploding” seedpods is very similar to Jewelweed (Impatiens capensis) or “Touch-me-not.” Can you think of any other examples in nature where this has happened? (Exploding seed video from Maya-ethnobotany) #sandboxtree

The sandbox tree is a terrifying species covered in sharp spikes that make it unsettling to look at. Its trunk is filled with cone-shaped thorns so tough that even monkeys can’t climb it, which is why it’s also called the “monkey-no-climb tree.” But the spikes are only the beginning. Its fruit is poisonous and, as it matures, dries out on its own. Because the inner and outer layers shrink at different speeds, enormous tension builds inside, like a tightly wound spring. When fully ripe, a slight