Imagine going on a leisurely mountain bike ride and eventually colliding with one of the deadliest plants on earth. This horrific experience happened to 42yearold Naomi Lewis near Cairns, Australia when she fell into the infamous Dendrocnide moroides or GympieGympie, also known as the nettle tree.
This poisonous nettle, which is particularly harmful on its stalks, was first discovered in 1866 by North Queensland road surveyor AC Macmillan. In one of their first encounters, Macmillan saw his pack horse hit by a tree causing him to go insane and die within two hours. No doubt this isn’t the plant you want to have contact with.
After his accident, Lewis described the pain as unbearable, causing him to vomit. Her husband and others tried to remove hair from the soles of her legs with strips of heated wax while they waited for the ambulance. After arriving at the hospital, she was hospitalized for a week and given warm blankets and pain medication. Despite having experienced childbirth four times, Lewis said the pain caused by gympiegympie was much worse.
Nine months after the incident, she still has stabbing pains in her legs, like rubber bands ripping. Other people who have suffered from GympieGympie describe the pain as the worst imaginable. Ernie Rider, who found the facility in 1963, recalled the sensation of huge hands crushing his chest, the pain lasting two years and returning every time he took a cold shower.
According to researcher Marina Hurley, who was also affected by GympieGympie, the plant’s hairs can remain on the skin for up to six months. During this time, if the skin is pressed hard or washed with hot or cold water, bites may return.
Surprisingly, there are creatures that can resist the GympieGympie’s poisonous effects. Hurley found bite marks on the plants, suggesting some animals are capable of dealing with the plant’s lethal touch. These hardy creatures include beetles, other insects, and redfooted marsupials—a type of small marsupial.
Lewis’ haunting story serves as a reminder of the dangers that can lurk in nature. Anyone venturing into the Australian wilderness should watch out for the GympieGympie and its excruciating sting an encounter you will never forget.
Source: ABC News