Pygmy Date Palm

This verdict covers chemical/ingestion toxicity only. This palm carries a separate, well-documented MECHANICAL hazard: the lower leaflets on every frond are modified into very sharp spines. NC State's own caution: 'Use caution when handling the leaves.' A palm can be non-toxic and still cause a puncture injury serious enough to need medical attention -- treat the spines as a real hazard regardless of the non-toxic ingestion verdict, especially around children and pets that might brush against low fronds.

Genuinely assessed as non-toxic by both NC State (species-specific) and ASPCA (under 'Miniature Date Palm'), not merely unassessed. This is a deliberate name-matching trap case: ASPCA's similarly-titled 'Dwarf Date Palm' page covers Phoenix acaulis, a different species, and does not apply to this plant -- see the pet-toxicity source. Separately, and unrelated to toxicity: NC State cautions to 'use caution when handling the leaves' because the lower leaflets are modified into very sharp spines -- a real, well-documented mechanical hazard, not a chemical one.