Apr 07, 2025 07:40 PM IST
The Ratliff family visits Thailand and is warned about the poisonous Pong Pong tree. Here’s what is known about green poisonous fruit.
As the Ratliff family arrives in Thailand for their vacation they are met with the warning to not eat the fruit from the Pong Pong tree. This led viewers of the show to wonder if the tree and its fruit are real and dangerous. Its fruit has also made fans curious as one member’s declining mental health is being related to it.
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Is the Pong Pong tree really dangerous?
The Pong Pong tree is commonly known as the ‘suicide tree’ among the natives in Southeast Asia. According to the National Parks website, the round and green apple-like fruit is known as “oothalanga” which grows on the Pong Pong tree or the Cerbera odollam. The seeds of the fruit contain heart toxin, cerberin which has a bitter taste but can be easily hidden by other strong flavours of the food. It can be used to induce death and has thus earned the name, suicide tree.
The toxins in the seed directly target the heart as they enter the bloodstream after ingestion. The symptoms after the intake of the seeds include nausea, vomiting and diarrhoea which are human defence mechanisms to push out the poison. The symptoms show up within 20 to 30 minutes of ingestion and in an hour the heart rate begins to drop, heart rhythm gets disrupted.
Symbolism of the poisonous fruit in The White Lotus Season 3
The gun Timothy steals from Gaitok or the one Rick points at the man he blames for his misfortunes are human-made, detached instruments of violence. In contrast, the pong-pong tree symbolizes nature’s raw power, which the guests in The White Lotus often underestimate. Timothy’s internal struggles could lead to severe repercussions for those around him. Even without the gun he took, he still has the potential means to cause harm.
A firearm isn’t the only lethal tool especially when the green fruit lies in plain sight and could result in death. Mike White, the creator, uses this natural element to highlight how deadly and unpredictable the environment can be when ignored or taken for granted, as reported by The Collider.
