Author Topic: Ackee Trees and Small Children and Pets  (Read 2130 times)

Johnny Redland

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Ackee Trees and Small Children and Pets
« on: August 02, 2018, 06:09:58 PM »
I’ve been wanting to plant an Ackee tree on our property but I’m concerned about our 1 year old daughter and our dogs if God forbid they get ahold of unripe fruit. How concerned should I really be? Opinions? Recommendations? Experiences?

Let me know what you think

Finca La Isla

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Re: Ackee Trees and Small Children and Pets
« Reply #1 on: August 02, 2018, 10:01:27 PM »
We have akee and they are common in our area.  If you look online you will find accounts of poisoning’s in Jamaica. But in more than 30 years here I’ve never heard of an actual case of poisoning.
When people ask me for an attractive tree that will bring beautiful fruit eating birds like toucans I generally recommend akee. 
Peter

Doug

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Re: Ackee Trees and Small Children and Pets
« Reply #2 on: August 03, 2018, 08:20:18 AM »
Peter . . . I have often wondered - - - do you know if ackee trees will grow here in the mountains at 1000m? BTW . . . how are you doing? Are the heavy rains causing you any problems?

morris4000

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Re: Ackee Trees and Small Children and Pets
« Reply #3 on: August 03, 2018, 08:40:36 AM »
murphys law.  one less thing to worry about.  not worth the risk

KarenRei

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Re: Ackee Trees and Small Children and Pets
« Reply #4 on: August 03, 2018, 09:10:55 AM »
Rate of incidence of ackee poisoning:
http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/news/A-review--Ackee-poisoning-in-Jamaica_60767

Note it's hardly the only tree whose immature fruit can sicken or kill children. For example, lychee is a big culprit in India.

Serious problems are mainly an issue in areas with malnutrition. Not only are malnourished children more vulnerable to the toxin, but they're also more likely to eat the immature fruit, and in greater quantities.  But of course it's poisonous in any quantity.

Your call as to the level of caution to use.  :)
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Jani

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Re: Ackee Trees and Small Children and Pets
« Reply #5 on: August 03, 2018, 11:00:21 AM »
I’ve been wanting to plant an Ackee tree on our property but I’m concerned about our 1 year old daughter and our dogs if God forbid they get ahold of unripe fruit. How concerned should I really be? Opinions? Recommendations? Experiences?

Let me know what you think

Nothing to worry about in my opinion .. grew up on the island and ackee trees grow literally everywhere, around kids, dogs, whatever and nothing ever happens, the absolute worst case scenarios you read about that simply do not happen in real life in the place where ackee trees and every day interaction with them are most common.

If you have the space, my opinion is the tree is totally worth it, easy to grow and manage, productive and a beautiful shade tree.
always longing for a JA Julie

Johnny Redland

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Re: Ackee Trees and Small Children and Pets
« Reply #6 on: August 03, 2018, 11:07:30 AM »
I think I’m going to move forward. I’ll put it on a fence line in case I ever want to section it off. I agree, they are beautiful trees, perfectly suited to our south Florida climate. I also have an affinity towards fruits you can cook with in a salt dish, like breadfruit, avocado, unripe jack, etc

Oh, and thank you all for the feedback. At the end of the day it’s on me, but my experience with the fruit is limited so I wanted some feedback

Jani

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Re: Ackee Trees and Small Children and Pets
« Reply #7 on: August 03, 2018, 11:57:48 AM »
I think I’m going to move forward. I’ll put it on a fence line in case I ever want to section it off. I agree, they are beautiful trees, perfectly suited to our south Florida climate. I also have an affinity towards fruits you can cook with in a salt dish, like breadfruit, avocado, unripe jack, etc

Oh, and thank you all for the feedback. At the end of the day it’s on me, but my experience with the fruit is limited so I wanted some feedback

Sounds good, sectioning it off certainly doesn't hurt, as won't mentioning to you daughter when she can comprehend, not to eat unopened/uncooked fruit..it's something that was told to us as kids and that was that.

.Again I have never personally known anyone on the island to have suffered ackee poisoning or even any moderate sickness, having grown there up til  entering adulthood, nor in the 20 something years since while still being very connected there - and again trees are literally everywhere; yards, sidewalks and randomly at the side of the roads, schools, parks and public lands, whatever and wherever.
always longing for a JA Julie

Tang Tonic

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Re: Ackee Trees and Small Children and Pets
« Reply #8 on: August 03, 2018, 04:12:25 PM »
Along the same lines, I shied away from macadamia trees because I heard they are poisonous to dogs.  I have a black lab and anyone who knows labs understands they will eat just about anything. 

Is macadamia similar to ackee where sure its poisonous but animals intuitively know better?


Finca La Isla

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Re: Ackee Trees and Small Children and Pets
« Reply #9 on: August 03, 2018, 04:37:30 PM »
Hi Doug,
Akee will probably grow and produce at 1000m but not positive.
We have had some issues with landslides here, took out some salak and other stuff but it comes with the territory.
Saludos,
Peter

Darve

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Re: Ackee Trees and Small Children and Pets
« Reply #10 on: January 02, 2021, 02:27:33 AM »
Just a question , some 2 yrs ago i aquired an Akee seedling from mr Mike T, and have been dithering on should i plant it out, any thoughts or updates. Mike if your online could you offer any suggestions. Growing in tropical areas im sure lots of people have been exposed to the fruit of this tree. Thanks.

Mike T

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Re: Ackee Trees and Small Children and Pets
« Reply #11 on: January 02, 2021, 04:42:35 AM »
David there are a lot of poisonous plant, fruit and seeds out there and I think the risk from ackee to dogs and kids is probably not too high. The seeds are hard and shiny and the red meniscus is low on volume. They don't drop off the tree as red unopened fruit too often. Was way more than 2 years ago I thought.

Darve

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Re: Ackee Trees and Small Children and Pets
« Reply #12 on: January 02, 2021, 05:20:52 AM »
Thanks Mike, and you are right more like 4 or 5.How quickly time flies.Thanks also for the reassurance. By the way did you end up planting both lychee.

JoeP450

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Re: Ackee Trees and Small Children and Pets
« Reply #13 on: January 02, 2021, 09:37:32 PM »
I wouldn’t worry about it.....

Key point in understanding toxicology, medicine etc is that what determines a poison is the dose. I used to have a fellow friend in this hobby who was going to manage a commercial longan grove and also start a plant nursery and was looking for some ideas. I suggested adding ackee in the mix to target a niche market segment and they trees are hardy/easy to care for ect, his response was no way in hell would I want that toxic plant and liability on my property. It’s total irony that he said that because literally the same toxin that’s in ackee is in lychee and in longan ...seeds as they are in they soapberry family 🙈 Your brain thrives of glucose and turns out hypoglycin can cause a fatal hypoglycemia syndrome https://www.google.com/amp/s/amp.cnn.com/cnn/2019/06/13/health/encephalitis-india-outbreak-deaths-lychee-intl/index.html

Back to judging the risk of the ackee tree....there is risk but the young child would have to eat a good amount of uncooked ackee fruit particularly the seeds. Way I look at it is worry more about bufo toads in your yard with a dog vs ackee tree.

Joe