Beware when cutting back this 'toxic' garden plant – warns one gardener who suffered painful burns

Framed image of a well established garden in summer with yellow and whites flowers and a large fig tree.

Fig trees are incredibly popular amongst gardeners for many reasons, bearing delicious fruit and providing a beautiful canopy of luscious green leaves for summer shade, to name a few. However, many are unaware that the sap of this seemingly innocent edible plant is a skin irritant that can cause burns.

After finding out the hard way, garden influencer Phil, better known as @theguysatgreenacre on Instagram, shared a post earlier this month to warn others to prune their fig trees with caution this season – because early summer is an ideal time to prune.