Three weeks ago I was weeding the path behind the back door, and was stung by a stinging tree. This came as a complete surprise - my first time - and this was the last place you would expect to find a stinging tree. It was masquerading as a weed amongst a few other interlopers on the stone pathway. I pulled it out with great gusto and it stung me hard - both on the back of the fingers and on the palm - and I dropped it quickly.The seedling was only about 10cm high and had 4 leaves, but a close up look showed all the fine needlelike hairs that cause the pain. A bird must have dropped the seed on a fly-by.
This was my first sting. It had taken 20 years of living here to have this experience. There was immediate intense pain, and it continued for a few hours. When I tried to wash my hands, the water wetting the hand made the pain even more intense. For three days it was really bad - you were aware of it all the time. Then it gradually disappeared, until you wet your hands.
Now three weeks later I can say I have survived, and there are only minor twinges - a gentle reminder when I wet my hands.
