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Ōrewa resident Lena Kovac is calling for greater public awareness of the dangers posed by Phoenix palm trees after her son was seriously injured over Easter weekend.
The youngster stood on a fallen frond while at Ōrewa beach, resulting in a painful injury that required treatment at Starship Children’s Hospital. He remains on antibiotics and may need surgery due to the severity of the wound.
“My son is on his third round of antibiotics, but I expect the injury may swell up again once the round is finished as apparently all kids who presented to Starship with this needed surgery,” Kovac says. At the very least we need to get the council to put up some warning signs.”
The palm’s appeal lies in its tropical appearance, but it comes with serious downsides. Each frond contains long, rigid spikes at the base, which can easily puncture skin. The spikes are toxic and can snap off under the skin, leading to inflammation, infection, and in some cases, the need for surgical removal. If embedded in tendons or joints, the recovery can be slow.
Introduced from the Canary Islands, the palms are common in coastal gardens and parks across New Zealand. However, they have been an ongoing concern nationally and in Auckland, they are classified as a pest plant. According to Auckland Council regulations, Phoenix palms must not be bred, distributed, sold or released within the region.
Concerns about the palms on Ōrewa Beach were reported by Hibiscus Matters in December 2021, and numerous injuries from the fronds are reported nationwide. In 2020, Stuff cited ACC data that showed yearly injury claims from palms fronds of around 700 or more a year.
Local gardening experts advise wearing thick gloves and boots when trimming or removing Phoenix palm fronds. Residents are also urged to dispose of fallen fronds carefully and to keep children and pets away from palm debris.
In addition to their physical hazards, Phoenix palms can outcompete native vegetation and support invasive species. Council encourages property owners to manage or remove these palms where possible to reduce environmental and safety risks.
Council’s Urban Forest, Arboriculture and Ecology manager David Stejskal saysbecause of their invasive tendencies, Phoenix palms are included in Auckland’s Regional Pest Management Plan (RPMP), which prohibits their sale in Auckland. However, this listing does not require the proactive removal of existing trees in parks or streetscapes.
While there is no region-wide programme to remove Phoenix palms, Stejskal says council is committed to public safety. “We manage these trees through regular maintenance and respond to specific safety concerns,” she says. In addition, each situation is assessed on a site-led basis, meaning that in locations where Phoenix palms present an ongoing issue, removal may be considered.”
He advises residents concerned about fallen fronds or risks from Phoenix palms in public areas to log a service request via council’s Report a Problem page or contact the Hibiscus and Bays Local Board.
NB: Hibiscus Matters is waiting for the latest injury data from ACC and will report back once we receive it.
