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https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-tyne-66101616
One of the world's most venomous plants which causes pain like being "electrocuted and set on fire at the same time" has come to Northumberland.
More about stinging trees here: https://theconversation.com/the-worst-kind-of-pain-you-can-imagine-what-its-like-to-be-stung-by-a-stinging-tree-103220
Hats off to any Aus-based members, or rather hats and every bit of protective clothing else on all the time.
****ing Australia, it really does hate everybody doesn't it? No wonder it's in the middle of nowhere
If the animals and insects don't get you, the plants will. Or the fish.
We have friends from Australia and their sense of amazement when we tell them that they don't have to worry about the insects or plants in the forest behind our house (Sweden) is a joy to behold. The kids are going to love being able to forage for blueberries.
**** Australia, it really does hate everybody doesn’t it?
They should send convicts there as a punishment!
That sting KILLS horses and dogs! Blimey.
Are we are predicting that this will fail somehow and the plant will then get into the wild and grow in the outdoors?
Yes. I'm thinking this is end of days stuff. I'm not into my glands feeling like they're 'being smashed between two blocks of wood' to be totally honest. I like them as they are.
On the flip side I took my Australian friend biking and didn't think to warn him about stingers.
His arms and legs were something to behold.
I'd like to go to that Poison Garden attraction, sounds interesting.
Probably won't take the dog.
We have friends from Australia and their sense of amazement when we tell them that they don’t have to worry about the insects or plants in the forest behind our house (Sweden) is a joy to behold. The kids are going to love being able to forage for blueberries.
You did warn them about the moose, bears, wolves and wild boar though?
(And the ticks/mossies/horseflies, not to mention the mushrooms, hemlock and fools parsley)
I’d like to go to that Poison Garden attraction, sounds interesting.
Its fascinating, the guides are really informative and seem to enjoy their work.
And the pain can last for up to a month too!
The 2010 XPD Adventure Race in Oz had a few brushes with that thing's slightly less angry little brother, the 'Giant Stinging Tree'. Treatment was using waxing strips to pull out the fibres, then laying hydrochloric acid-soaked paper towels on the affected area. Delightful!
( See
from about 3:00 in. )
Jeeping flippity. I'm never whinging about nettles ever again.
The only sting worse than that is the price of fish and chips in the gardens.
The only sting worse than that is the price of fish and chips in the gardens.
🤣
I’m sitting on a property with Gympie Stinging trees right now. Mother in law had a run in with one years ago (pulled it as a weed) Painful as all hell… but they’re pretty easy to spot.
Really, there’s as much chance of getting hurt by cattle in the UK as plants or animals in Oz.
Are we are predicting that this will fail somehow and the plant will then get into the wild and grow in the outdoors?
You'll know when it's about to happen, there'll be a blinding meteor shower...
I love how every deadly thing in Australia seems to have a really friendly sounding name. A gimpy gimpy bush sounds delightful and fun.
You've never been to Gympie...the place named for the tree!
It's got a bit of a reputation 🙂
Not far north is Bauple - home of the Bauple nut, better known as Macadamia.
Quite the botanical contrast.
That BBC article is pretty hilarious though - hidden behind glass etc, when you can walk amongst them here in a National Park (there might be a sign at the side of the track warning you what to watch out for).
If the animals and insects don’t get you, the plants will. Or the fish.
Or the reptiles, the spiders, the jellyfish…
And don’t forget the drop-bears!
The worst jellyfish is the Irukandji, which turns up in northern waters, it’s barely 2cm across, and almost completely transparent. And highly toxic.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Irukandji_jellyfish
You neglected to mention the blue-ringed octopus and the stonefish.
Stonefish sounds friendly too. Like a chilled little fella that absolutely won’t cause necrosis and terrible pain if you accidentally tread on it. It’s just like how they name deadly hurricanes after your grandparents. Should really rename a lot of these things. For the animals and plants I vote for swear word followed by things name. Bastard fish, **** you up bush, that sort of thing. Destructive weather systems should be named after serial killers.
Mate's twin brother trod on a stonefish a few months ago whilst visiting. Agonising. Leg swelled up with an infection, spent a week in hospital and was worried he was going to lose the leg.
Same day (almost at the same time) the afore-mentioned mate slipped while riding a rock slab and tore the tendon in his finger. So the two brothers were in nearby hospitals at the same time. Their very distinctive surname and matching date of birth caused havoc with the staff who kept trying to correct their names!
Funniest part was that every time I asked my mate how his brother was he'd say "Not too bad - it's not like he tore a tendon or anything serious!"
But anyway, Australian wildlife is perfectly safe. That's why there are Saffa's that call it "Omo-land" (Omo as in clean and safe like the washing powder).
🤣
everything's tooled up over there, even a platypus will shank you