Which bushes have thorns

Clusters of white flowers in spring are borne mainly on lateral shoots. Yellow, orange or red berries cover the branches in autumn and persist well into winter. Birds are highly attracted to the berries. For Judy Kilpatrick, gardening is the best mental health therapy of all. Combining her interests in both of these fields, Kilpatrick is a professional flower grower and a practicing, licensed mental health therapist. A graduate of East Carolina University, Kilpatrick writes for national and regional publications.

By Judy Kilpatrick Updated December 17, Related Articles. A short, narrow tree could be closer to the property line than a tall or broad one. How do crown of thorns grow? Reduce the amount of water when a Crown of Thorns Plant is not producing new leaves and flowers, but never allow the soil to totally dry out.

What is my spiky plant called? Dracaena, or spike plant, was traditionally considered a houseplant for years. However, it is finding favor in annual container gardens where the spiky upright leaves provide height and textural contrast to bushy and cascading annual flowers. Why do thorns hurt so much? Sporotrichosis is a cutaneous skin infection caused by a fungus, Sporothrix schenckii. This was due to the fact that the fungi present on rose thorns and in the moss and soil used to cultivate roses easily contaminated the small pricks and cuts on the skin made by the rose thorns.

What is the purpose of a thorn? The predominant function of thorns, spines and prickles is deterring herbivory in a mechanical form. For this reason they are classified as physical or mechanical defenses, as opposed to chemical defenses. What plants have 9 leaves? In spite of the name, they are not edible tomatoes.

Prickly pear refers to a number of species in the genus Opuntia , the most cold tolerant of all cacti native to the US. Some species, such as O. This plant is traditionally grown for its edible fruit — the prickly pear, also known as nopal or tuna fruit. The modified stems grow into flat, succulent pads that store water and are adorned with multiple sharp thorns that can penetrate the toughest leather.

Tiny spines — called glochids — are thinner than a human eyelash and look a little bit like fur. Prickly pear is easily rooted from stem cuttings, and can be kept trimmed by pruning at the joints. The fruit grows on the edge of the stems. It produces beautiful blooms in a variety of colors — depending on the species — from yellow and red bicolored flowers to bright pink or red.

Suitable for xeriscapes and dry, arid areas, the prickly pear thrives in well-draining soil in a full sun location. Smaller species can top out at six to 12 inches tall, while others grow to a commanding height of over 10 feet tall, in the right conditions. Low-growing varieties are ideal for planting underneath windows, and a combination of both large and small specimens make a formidable, impenetrable perimeter barrier.

Be mindful of your planting location, particularly if you have children or pets. Commonly known as firethorn, Pyracantha is a genus of decorative evergreen shrubs that display billows of white flowers in early summer, giving way to vibrant orange or red berries in fall.

Native to southeastern Europe, and adorned with vicious thorns along the branches, it grows in a dense form and is easy to prune into a hedge. Suitable for growers in Zones , this is the ultimate low-maintenance, decorative security plant. Some species, such as P. Most varieties grow vigorously in average, well-draining soil, and prefer a part to full sun location.

The blooms and berries attract a variety of beneficial insects and wild birds. Firethorn Pyracantha 1, Seeds. Pyracantha is ideal for training up walls and fences, for a spiky welcome. It can also be used as a perimeter barrier when pruned into a hedge, or placed at the back of borders as a foundation planting or specimen plant.

You can find packets of 1, firethorn seeds available via Amazon. Our home is our sanctuary, and Mother Nature provides us with plenty of options to keep us safe and secure. These are so much prettier than razor wire, and in some cases, just as effective.

Are you inspired to fortify your home with any of these plants? Do you have any favorites to share? Let us know in the comments below! If you are looking for more garden design inspiration — with or without thorns — try these guides next:.

See our TOS for more details. Uncredited photos: Shutterstock. A writer from London, Clare retired from the high-octane world of professional financial futures trading to live a peaceful life in the Bay of Plenty, New Zealand — and to pursue her love of words.

When she's not writing and editing, she's chasing possums off her zucchini and renovating an old house in a small town — slowly, and not very surely. Hi, do you have any experience of hedges impenetrable to dogs? I was thinking of creating a Pyracantha or Maclura barrier, but what if they dig under it?

Long for your reply. Hi Donatella, dogs will have a difficult time digging under an established hedge. If you have an existing hedge and you are trying to contain your own dog, one good way is to lay chicken wire — or other steel mesh — down at the base of the hedge, and cover it with soil. This should help to prevent a dog from digging. A pyracantha hedge will also be spiny, and the thorns will deter dogs, though you do have to be careful of injury if a dog is particularly persistent. Hope this helps.

Let me know if you have … Read more ». Please help me to post a question to Clair Groom. I have troubles to sign in, due to my stupidity in computer? Old age 72? Language barrier? Hi Joshua, it can be very difficult to find seeds for the crown of thorns, as they grow best and easily from stem cuttings.

Plants do produce seed if the flowers are pollinated, but they tend to be a bit hit or miss in terms of germination. If you have access to an existing plant, the easiest way to get started is to take a stem cutting. I have not seen anywhere that actually sells seeds for this plant. Fabulous article on security of hedges. It has roadside boundary some metres long.

I would like to plant a security hedge rather than deer fence. Hi Eddie, Thank you for your kind words. It looks like ChCh is the same as Zone 9a.

Personally, for an area that large, I would use totara Podocarpus totara. Clare: I want protection from criminals climbing up my 45 degree cliff….

Our cliff soil is sandy, rocky shale like. Water is hard to stay since it runs down the hill. Deer are also a problem.

Dave Thanks. Hi Dave, apologies for the late reply to this message! Can you let me know what growing zone you are in? I have an agriculture farm of about 35 acres. I have fenced an area of 17 acres with chain link fencing. I want to grow a natural thorny hedge inside the fence along the perimeter to protect my crop from human pilferage. Please suggest me the name of the plants which can be pruned to make a dense impregnable thorny hedge in the fastest possible time.

Do you have a suggestion for a 4- to 6-foot thorny hedge that will grow in the intramontane region of Ecuador? Soil is sandy. Thieves are getting through our cement block wall regularly now.

I would plant this inside the wall. Alternatively a climbing bramble such as blackberry. I believe you can find Rubus floribundus R.

Hope this helps! Climbers, Trees, and Window Boxes Trellising climbing plants up the side of your home, particularly in areas with convenient, climbable drain pipes can discourage the cat-burglar from sneaking into upstairs windows. Agave The most common member of the Agave genus is A. With a mature height of three to six feet tall, agave creates a formidable barrier.

Barberry The genus Berberis includes over different species of evergreen and deciduous shrubs with varying heights of three to 10 feet. Remember to wear gloves when handling these plants, and keep children and pets away from them.

Here are two options for you to consider: Fast-growing B. Barrel Cactus Cacti make an interesting addition to your defensive plantings. One or more can be planted in a rockery underneath a window, or at the bottom of fence lines.

Blackthorn Blackthorn, Prunus spinsoa , has had a pound of my flesh on more than one occasion in the autumn. Blackberry The name blackberry refers to a number of species in the genus Rubus that grow from a perennial crown and produce tart, edible fruit on upright canes from midsummer to fall. Photo by Clare Groom. Many thornless cultivars have been developed, so bear this in mind when you are shopping. Bougainvillea Bougainvillea is a fabulous ornamental vine or shrub that blooms vividly with colorful bracts almost year-round in tropical climates.

Suitable for growers in Zones 9 and above, this plant thrives in heat and sunshine. The glorious inflorescence is made up of colorful bracts in pink, yellow, red, orange, or white.

My childhood home featured many different colorful bougainvillea plants. Californian Fuchsia Also known as the fuchsia flowering gooseberry, Ribes speciosum is a deciduous shrub that bursts forth with bright red flowers in the spring that hang downwards, and resemble fuchsia — although the plants are not related.

Californian Fuchsia And remember, if you plant underneath a window, keep it well pruned and make sure you have an alternative escape route, should you need to beat a hasty retreat out of your house. Chinese Jujube If you like your defensive plantings to do double-duty and provide an edible harvest, then consider the Chinese jujube tree, Ziziphus jujuba.

Crown of Thorns Euphorbia milii is an evergreen succulent plant, suitable for gardens in Zones Giant Rhubarb Contrary to what its name suggests, giant rhubarb — also known as dinosaur food — is not closely related to the rhubarb you use for pie-making. Hardy Orange Hardy orange, Poncirus trifoliata, is native to China, and is a close relative of the citrus orange we know and love. Although deciduous, the stems remain green throughout the winter, after the leaves have dropped.

Hawthorn Hawthorn is a deciduous flowering shrub or small tree of the Crataegus genus. Most species grow in a dense clumping form, and produce small, edible berries in the early fall. This is a good option if you are looking for a spiky, yet decorative tree. Honey Locust The honey locust, Gleditsia triacanthos , is a fast growing, deciduous tree native to the central US. Caspian locust thrives in full sun and well-draining, but average soil.

Japanese Quince Native to eastern Asia, the Japanese quince, Chaenomeles speciosa , is suitable for growers in Zones Once established, plants are drought and heat tolerant. Sarah Terry brings over 10 years of experience writing novels, business-to-business newsletters and a plethora of how-to articles. Share this article. Rose stem with thorns and water drops on the leaves.

Tip Rose shrubs Rosa sp. Related Articles. References Northscaping. Although rose shrubs are easy to identify when they're in bloom, you can identify them during other seasons by their alternately-arranged, compound leaves comprised of three to seven leaflets with toothed edges.