Nature can be as chaotic as it is beautiful, but there are enough common trends we can see in the natural world that we end getting used to a certain type of behavior.
There's one tree in southern Africa that stands out for a creepy reason.
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#1 The kiaat tree of southern Africa goes by a lot of names.
It looks like a perfectly normal tree for the area, right?
#2 But when you cut it down, it bleeds.
That's why the tree's most popular name is the 'bloodwood'.
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#3 OK, so it's not technically blood.
It's actually sap that shows up every time the tree gets injured to help it recover.
#4 It may look creepy, but the sap is pretty helpful.
Locals use it to relieve stomach problems, headaches, earaches and even blood in the urine.
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#5 Not only that, but the tree makes for really good furniture.
It's strong, but also pretty easy to work with and isn't warped by water. This makes it great for boats and bathroom flooring.
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#6 Sadly, the bloodwood might be a little too useful for its own good.
The trees are becoming endangered because they're being cut down faster than they can grow again.
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#7 And it's a tree the people of Tanzania can't live without.
We've talked about some of the reasons why, but the bloodwood is also important for cooking and water purification.
