Juldie

We are travelling to CR in June. My 18 yr. old son is highly allergic to poison ivy. He has gotten it every summer since he was a young boy, and it seems to get worse as he gets older. Last summer he had been at a campfire where apparently wood that had some poison ivy on it was burned. His eye became swollen closed and it took 2 rounds of steroids to calm it down.

With all the outdoor adventure, I am worried for him there is poison ivy that he will be exposed to. Does anyone know for certain if it is in CR? Knowing will help us come a bit prepared. Thanks.

Earthtraveler

I'm not aware of those in CR but beware of the Manzanillo Tree near the beach. They have a small green apple like fruit and are very poisinous and people sometimes react to just touching the tree or fruit or being under it.

sandyc

I haven't heard of poison ivy there -- could be -- but good advice is to never touch anything in the rainforest. Never put your hand on a tree when you're hiking because there could be spiders, ants, snakes, etc., hiding on it, not to mention a few poison trees and trees with spikes. If I have to reach out and hold onto a rock for balance, I look very carefully before I put my hand down.
Stay on paths and don't walk through grassy areas, especially early in the morning or after dark. Just use common sense and he'll be fine.

Sandy

gannetmusic

Manzanillo, or 'Hinchador'is in the same family as our north american poison ivy /poison sumac. Grows shrub sized so can easily brush against your face etc. Can be nasty as noted above.

Jerry

58smom

We did alot of hiking, and only once did I spot what appeared to be poison ivy. All the trails are well defined and if you stay on the path you'll be okay. The "poison ivy" I spotted was well off the path. There are trees with poisonous bark. If you are hiking don't touch anything unless you know what it is and if it's safe. Hiking with a naturalist is well worth it. Not only do they know what is safe, they can spot animals and point out plants and give some history of this beautiful country.

Juldie

Thanks for your advice. That makes a lot of sense to not touch anything. So is the Manzanillo tree only found by the beach? We certainly won't be having a guide with us there.

Hiring a guide for hikes is one thing we haven't really given a lot of thought about, but what 58smom pointed out, make a lot of sense. We tend to like to discover things on our own when we travel but between not knowing what is poisonous and the fact that a guide can point out wild and plant life, I think we should hike with a guide.

I was comcerned about rubbing up against
poison ivy or now that I know about the Manzanillo tree, when we do zip lines. Do you touch branches on the lines?

58smom

We didn't do any zip lines. But if you're just going to be on the beach you shouldn't have to worry. I don't know if you touch alot of branches on the zip lines, but I would think that you're not in any danger there. The locals all know about the poisonous trees and they wouldn't have people zip lining through them.

sandyc

You usually don't touch any branches on the ziplines -- you are going very fast and the foilage has been cleared out of the way. Most of the plants and trees are not poisonous -- it's not that big of a worry, and a guide will be really helpful. If he's available, my friend Gustavo is an expert on plants and will really make your hike interesting. [email protected].

Sandy

Earthtraveler

The Manzanillo Tree is deffinately at some beaches and can be much larger than a bush. Google "poionous manzanillo tree" and you will come up with plenty to read including some pictures. Ask someone to identify it when you get to the beach if it is local. I would think they would know.

schlegal1

Juldie: Your post caught my eye as I am also highly allergic to poison ivy. Your son should be careful about eating mangos. I have had bad reactions after touching mango skin or eating mangos that were prepared in such a way that the skin and flesh intermixed before serving. Mangos are a relative of poison ivy and they were (as I recall) often offered in various dishes when we were in CR.

Juldie

schlegal1: that is fascinating about mangos.I never head of them being related to poison ivy. I am going to google the Manzanillo tree to see some pictures of it so we might better be able to recognize it. Thanks everyone for your advice.

StcyrPenda

There are two plants called Manzanillo

The Manzanillo "at the beach" refered to here by 'Earthtraveler' is the Manchineel Tree (Hippomane mancinella), which is one of the most poisonous trees in the world.

The other Manzanillo refered to here by Jerry ('gannetmusic') is, as he said, indeed related to Poison-Ivy (Toxicodendron Radicans) and Poison Sumac (Toxicodendron Vernix). It may very well be another type of Poison Sumac-Toxicodendron Striatum, which grows as a small tree in Central America and Northern South America. It is also known as "Amché", "Palo de Compadre" and "Hinchador" in CR.