Ignoring the stupidity and inhumanity of border walls, seems like we could be planting them alongside them and add some green. Let border patrol agents have to prune and manage them.

Fuck, throw out all the man made parts of the border wall and just have a thicket of these trees. if you're willing to pass through the forest suited up then you've put more effort into being a citizen than most citizens.

[–] mos@lemmy.world 37 points 2 months ago (1 children)

It’s such a powerful, stupid and inhumane idea that by the time I finished reading that paragraph I had forgotten that you had told me to ignore the stupidity and inhumanity.

[–] limer@lemmy.ml 10 points 2 months ago

It’s a good way to destroy any animals and unbalance the ecosystem

[–] faizalr@fedia.io 5 points 2 months ago

Ahh thank you Florencia.

[–] HubertManne@piefed.social 3 points 2 months ago (1 children)

I mean strickly speaking its better than land mines so I get ya. Also you can tell the border has been patrolled as they have to limit the spread.

[–] 0_o7@lemmy.dbzer0.com 1 points 2 months ago

Stickly*

[–] frongt@lemmy.zip 3 points 2 months ago (2 children)

Well, it's the sap that's harmful. I don't think touching the bark a little will hurt. You should be able to pass through a stand of trees without issue.

You could also plant poison ivy on the ground, but even just pants and shoes would be enough to walk through. You could plant thorny bushes, but anyone with clippers could easily make a hole that would go unnoticed for a while. The border is long. (And I doubt most of these plants would thrive there anyway.)

[–] kapulsa@feddit.org 4 points 2 months ago (1 children)

There’s no safe way to approach a manchineel tree, as every part of it is toxic. One touch is enough to cause severe skin irritations and eye injuries that can leave you temporarily blind. Simply standing under a manchineel tree while its raining can even cause pain. It’s also a bad idea to burn its lumber, as the smoke is harmful as well.

From the article.

[–] frongt@lemmy.zip 3 points 2 months ago

Yes, I read the article. But mentalfloss is not a reliable source.

https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/publication/FR370

This is indeed the tree I was thinking of, and yes it's the sap that's toxic. Dry bark should be safe to touch, but it does weep sap through its bark. The interior wood, leaves, and fruit all contain the sap, so you should absolutely not interact with those without protection.

[–] quick_snail@feddit.nl 2 points 2 months ago

Or you could just stop breaking international law and provide a proper way for people to apply for asylum

[–] eleitl@lemmy.zip 2 points 2 months ago (1 children)

May I rather suggest https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dendrocnide_moroides ?

[–] philpo@feddit.org 2 points 2 months ago

That's just plain evil. Totally different level of evil.

[–] captain_aggravated@sh.itjust.works 12 points 2 months ago

Every tree will send you to the hospital depending on how hard you touch it. Touch a dogwood tree at 90 miles per hour and pretty soon you'll be telling stories about three surgeries and eight titanium screws.

[–] aesthelete@lemmy.world 6 points 2 months ago* (last edited 2 months ago) (2 children)

What is it made of fentanyl?

[–] masterofn001@lemmy.ca 7 points 2 months ago

It'll only kill you of you're a cop, though.

[–] Lemminary@lemmy.world 4 points 2 months ago

It's Tylenol, actually.

[–] thesohoriots@lemmy.world 5 points 2 months ago (2 children)

Not even in Australia!

[–] faizalr@fedia.io 2 points 2 months ago (1 children)

This is from America.

[–] 0_o7@lemmy.dbzer0.com 2 points 2 months ago

South America?

[–] A1kmm@lemmy.amxl.com 1 points 2 months ago (1 children)

Australia doesn't have that plant, but it has Dendrocnide sp. (Stinging Nettle Trees), which could arguably be worse when it comes to being venomous plants (i.e. plants that have an active mechanism for venom delivery, instead of just being poisonous). Also in the don't touch category unless you want pain that can last up to a year.

[–] indomara@lemmy.world 1 points 2 months ago

Ah yes, the Gympie Gympie tree. It is truly horrible.

It is the most horrible tree in the world, people have been known to commit suicide the sting is so bad.

Not only that but it stings for months or years and the trichromes stay in the skin and release the toxin whenever triggering events happen, such as touching the affected skin, contact with water, or temperature changes.

For two or three days the pain was almost unbearable; I couldn't work or sleep... I remember it feeling like there were giant hands trying to squash my chest... then it was pretty bad pain for another fortnight or so. The stinging persisted for two years and recurred every time I had a cold shower...There's nothing to rival it; it's ten times worse than anything else.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dendrocnide_moroides

[–] cupcakezealot@piefed.blahaj.zone 4 points 2 months ago

well now i gotta touch it

[–] IAmNorRealTakeYourMeds@lemmy.world 1 points 2 months ago

make a dildo out of it. for reasons