April 29, 2012 Trees that Bleed

[sandypossum]

We have a wood fired stove. Last year Mr Possum (my other half) was splitting some sort of dry eucalyptus logs with a log splitter and blood gushed out. It was about a cup full of it, fresh blood consistency, bright red, and it came from inside the wood. He was really shaken the first time it happened, as he thought there must have been a hollow in it with an animal inside, but it was just some sort of sap. It happened a few times with some other logs in the same batch. Each time it was a fright. Anyone here know what kind of wood it could have been? I live in south eastern Australia, and it probably would have been a local species if that helps.

Originally Posted by DanaC

I remember being somewhat perturbed by blood oranges as a youngster.

Me, too. I had never seen one till I was 19, on my first trip to Europe (in Germany). The peel was a normal orange colour, then when I stuck my thumb in to peel it, it bled. I pulled a bit of the peel off, and the segment looked just like it was full of blood, with a membrane over it. Gave me the creeps, and I refused to eat any oranges there unless I could be sure it wasn't a blood orange.