Ask Mr. Smarty Plants

Mr. Smarty Plants certainly hopes that you are not waiting for an answer from us before seeking medical attention! Click on this link to the Mayo Clinic regarding puncture wounds before proceeding further in the answer.

The problem here is that the name  Fruitless Palm Tree is a common name (perhaps used  only locally) and is not readily findable in the data bases that we use. The family Arecaceae (aka Palmae) contains the the "Palms", and there are an estimated 2600 species worldwide, distributed generally in the tropics and subtropics. One of the most cold hardy palms is Trachycarpus fortunei whicn can be grown as far north as British Columbia. Click on the link and see if this looks like the palm that you have.

When we are asked about toxic plants, we usually go to the databases listed below.

Toxic Plants of Texas

Poisonous Plants of North Carolina

Cornell University Plants Poisonous to Livestock

University of Pennsylvania Poisonous Plants

Canadian Poisonous Plants Information System

California Poison Action Line

I looked through these sites, but couldn't find the palm that attacked you. The folks at the Shasta County Office of the Universisty of California Cooperative Extension could provide help with determining the botanical name of the Fruitless Palm Tree. This would make using the toxic plant databases more fruitful.