A common backyard palm tree is responsible for around 500 injury claims in New Zealand each year, with one five-year-old girl needing two surgeries after stepping on one of its unsuspectingly sharp spikes.
Phoenix palms are a familiar sight in our gardens and public spaces, but experts have warned their needle-sharp spikes can cause serious injuries and infections.
Five-year-old Elsie was playing outside with her siblings at the family's Tasman home when she stepped on a spike from one of the trees.
Her mother Georgia Eden said the family had been enjoying an evening outdoors when the accident happened.
"We pulled it out really quickly, but I thought 'Oh no, I know the damage these can do'," she told Seven Sharp.
Despite the spike being removed, the initial injury was only the beginning.
Eden said Elsie's foot became so swollen from the spike, she was unable to walk on it for 48 hours. An ultrasound revealed a fragment had remained lodged in her foot, requiring surgery to remove it.
Days later, she developed further pain and swelling around her ankle.
"We knew immediately then it was going to be a bit of a problem," Eden said.
Elsie required a second surgery, with her mother saying she was now recovering from her injuries.
Originally from the Canary Islands, Phoenix palms were common in New Zealand gardens despite the risks posed by their sharp fronds.
Auckland Council environment expert Imogen Bassett said the spikes could easily become embedded in people's skin.
"They're very prone to being infected," she said.
ACC figures showed around 500 new injury claims involving Phoenix palms were lodged each year.
Urgent care specialist Dr Walid Waked said patients often arrived in significant pain, with some suffering fevers or feeling unwell.
"The problem is when they penetrate your skin, they actually shatter," he said, likening the fragments to shrapnel.
Auckland Council had banned the breeding, sale and release of Phoenix palms in the region.
Bassett said a single tree could produce up to 30,000 seeds annually, urging homeowners to remove seedlings before they spread.
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