The information given below is correct to the best of our knowledge, but should be used as a guide only. If in doubt, seek medical advice.

Many native fruits in North Queensland are poisonous. Do not risk eating or even tasting them, as even small amounts can be dangerous.

The Stinging Tree

The most common dangerous plant in the Kuranda area is the Stinging Tree (Dendrocnide moroides) which is found in clearings or on the edges of rainforest. Its giant, somewhat heart shaped, leaves usually grow horizontally, and can be difficult to see edge on. The stem connects to the leaf at the V of the heart shape, or inside the leaf margin. Fine hairs cover the leaves, but can also occur on stems and fruit. These hairs, made of silica, act like tiny hypodermic syringes, and will continue to inject their potent sting for several months, particularly when suddenly chilled. The edge of the leaf is serrated, as if cut with pinking shears, and the leaf stalks are often pink or reddish in hue. While it is sometimes found as a small tree, more usually stings are caused by small plants, which are less likely to be noticed.

The sting is intensely painful and often the lymph nodes will swell almost immediately. Intense pain can last a few days, with less severe pain continuing for weeks or months. While the sting is not believed to be fatal in humans, it is well worth avoiding. The best treatment for the pain is to remove the stinging hairs, by applying artificial skin or a similar film, then tearing it off. Painkillers are not usually effective, and folk remedies such as the sap of Cunjevoi plants that often grow in the same area are practically useless. Even a dead leaf can cause a sting, and while the raspberry like fruit are edible, they too can carry the odd stinging hair, and are best left alone.

It is a good precaution to learn to identify stinging trees if you are going to spend time in the rainforest. They are common on tracks in some areas. They can be confused with other trees and shrubs with heart shaped leaves, such as the Bleeding Heart (Omalanthus nova-guinsis) which has shiny leaves, some of which turn bright orange or scarlet red, and the introduced raspberry, a scrambling weed with somewhat similar leaves but a very different growth habit, that also infests rainforest margins.

(For more information on this and other harmful plants, see "Plants of Tropical North Queensland - The Compact Guide" by John Beasley, the first section of which deals with harmful plants.)

Rainforest Fruits

Many of the fruits of the rainforest are colourful and are eaten by various birds and animals. This does not mean they are safe for us to eat. In fact, fruits eaten by some birds can be fatal to us. Never risk eating rainforest fruits unless you are confident of their identity and edibility. An edible fruit may closely resemble another fruit that is extremely poisonous - a mistake could cost your life.

The Finger Cherry

This is a fruit that can mostly be eaten without ill effect yet on occasion it can produce permanent blindness. There is some debate over whether it is the fruit itself that causes the blindness, or possibly a mould or some such associated with it. Whatever the reason, this is a fruit to avoid. It grows in rainforest in the Kuranda area.