Learn how to improve your home security and deter intruders with 23 of the best defensive plants to add to your landscape now on Gardener's Path.
Learn to care for and grow Barleria rotundifolia (Spiny Yellow Barleria, Thorny Bush Violet, Yellow Barleria). Barleria rotundifolia (also known as Spiny Yellow Barleria, Thorny Bush Violet and Yellow Barleria) is a plant in the family Acanthaceae. It is perennial. The sun requirement is part shade and part sun.
Keeping trespassers off your property and intruders out of your home is always to your benefit, but traditional barriers like fences, gates and bars are eyesores and can be expensive. But it is possible to set up significant deterrents to trespassers with various species of unique, thorny plants. This article will tell you about several ... Read more
Discover how you can protect your home using natural, decorative barriers made from thorny bushes like Crown of Thorns and Chinese Flowering Quince.
Learn how to improve your home security and deter intruders with 23 of the best defensive plants to add to your landscape now on Gardener's Path.
The heavy scent of roses (Rosa spp.) is a delight to many gardeners, who will go to great...
Those woody plants that scratch and pierce our skin when hiking are often called some pretty colorful things by people. I will avoid such language, and describe exactly what they are running into. These "thorns" of Autumn Olive, Elaeagnus umbellata, are often referred to as branching spurs. This means they are not true thorns, just sharp twigs. Wild Crabapple, Pyrus coronaria, is another plant with what we call "false thorns". If you feel a thorn that is bumpy, then it's just a pointed twig. Thorns will be smooth. American Holly, Ilex opaca, is often described as having thorny leaves. They are not thorns, but spines along the leaf margin. Another group of thorny plants are the Rubus. This is Raspberry. All of our plants around here have this white glaucous coating, so you don't even need to look at the thorns for identification. Other piercing Rubus plants are the Blackberries. If you cut the twig and look at the cross section, they are star shaped. Blackberries have five sided twigs. Blackberry and Raspberry are also plants that don't have true thorns. They are called prickles. So what is the difference? Generally speaking, prickles are just outward growths of the bark. True thorns are different tissue that grows out from under the bark. Spines are usually associated in some manner with leaves. Who hasn't experienced some of the worst prickles of all. These curved fish hooks or shark fins belong to the notorious Multi-flora Rose, Rosa multiflora. Our native roses can be just as detrimental. Swamp Rose for one, or in this example, the Climbing Rose, Rosa setigera. All portions may have tons of prickles. The problem with prickles versus thorns, is these have a bad habit of dislodging into your skin, ouch! The Wild or Carolina Rose, Rosa carolina, is more of a minor annoyance than a major pain. Look for this Rose in dry upland woods. It only grows 1-3 feet tall. In the upper portions, the prickles are paired. In the lower parts they are thin and bristly. Most often they are colored white. Greenbrier vines also have prickles rather than thorns. This is Sawbrier, Smilax rotundifolia. Sawbrier has square twigs and multicolored prickles that often look like candy corn. Sawbrier prickles are stiff and rigid and will pierce your clothes. This plant can climb on itself and form shrub like thickets. Avoid the "brier patch". (Brier can be spelled with an a as well as e). A second species of Smilax is Glaucous Greenbrier, Smilax glauca. The twigs are round and more brownish green than Sawbrier. The prickles are more uniform in color, and more numerous at the bottom of the plant. The twigs may or may not have a white coating in winter. Our third woody species is Bristly Greenbrier, Smilax tamnoides (hispida). It only takes a second to see the main character for identification. The upper portions of the plant may be completely thornless, but look on down to the base. I mentioned Glaucous may have the majority of its prickles at the bottom, and they may be all black, but they are all the same size. Bristly has black "needles" of all different sizes. If you thought Bristly looked intimidating, this is even worse. These are actual thorns growing up the stem of Gooseberry or Currant. This was taken on a spring morning in Iowa. The forest understories are covered with Gooseberry out there. This is probably Prickly Gooseberry Ribes cynosbati. Gooseberry fruits are very edible. The fruit on this species is spiny, making harvesting a bit tricky. In the past, people raising White Pine removed all Gooseberries from an area because it spreads a fungus rust that kills the trees. While there are always exceptions, those Ribes called Gooseberries usually have thorns, and those called Currants are thornless. Looking at the stems of this plant, it is similar to Bristly Greenbrier. The leaves though look more like a Locust. Let's try Bristly Locust, Robinia hispida. The red thorns here are actually hairs, and they extend up even onto the flowers. There are sharp spines between the leaflets. Bristly Locust is a southern species often planted in Ohio as an ornamental. Robinia pseudoacacia, the Black Locust, is the more common species in our area. The twigs are hairless, but each node contains short paired thorns. Again, technically they're spines. Less frequently seen in our area is a Black Locust look-a-like. With short paired thorns and compound leaves, it may be overlooked. This is Northern Prickly-ash, Zanthoxylum americanum. One way to separate it from Locust is to look between the leaflets. They have a spiny rachis. Up close the buds are fuzzy and bright red. It's also called the Toothache Tree. Like aspirin, it is said if you cut a slice of the bark or thorns, it deadens pain in the mouth. Personally I'd use the bark, but I don't think I'd put a thorn in my mouth. There are so many varieties in this group, the thorns can be long or short, straight or curved. Either way, these belong to the Hawthorn, Crataegus spp. I don't really try to figure out which are which. No matter what the keys say, many of these turn out to be genetically the same species. These round red buds remind you what your finger tips will look like if you get jabbed by a Hawthorn. Japanese Barberry, Berberis thunbergii. Its bright red fruit make this an attractive ornamental, but is has escaped and become highly invasive. The leaves are small and spoon shaped. They grow out in clusters, though the plant is actually alternate. The long skinny projections are referred to as thorns, prickles, or spines. The literature is split on what to really call them. I lean towards spines. To be sure you have a Barberry, take your knife and scrape the bark. The inner portions are a bright neon yellow. A favorite of mine is Aralia spinosa. Sometimes called Hercule's Club, I much prefer the other common name, the Devil's Walking Stick. The thorns, which again are really prickles, often come out in a circular pattern, much like the Statue of Liberty Crown. In our area, look for it in the Hocking Hills region. Elvis has left the building. So who is the current king? Without a doubt it has to be Honey Locust, Gleditsia triacanthos. Not only does it have thorns on the branches and trunk, but the thorns have thorns! They are multi-branching, and I have measured some 18 inches long. This is not something you want to get impaled upon. I tell students to remember the latin name tri-acanthos by looking at the young thorns, they are branched into threes. They start out looking purple-red, and darken with age. I've also told students the thorns are toxic. My choice of words may be misleading. They don't contain a liquid toxin or poison. The thorns may be covered in dirt or bacteria. These thorns are longer and more rigid than any of the other species mentioned. So when they pierce the skin, the wound is larger and deeper. It not only affects the skin, but can irritate the nerves. Major swelling can occur and last a week. Anti-inflammatories may be needed. Honey Locust thorns have been used historically as sewing needles and fish hooks. The pea pods are sweet and edible when they first come out, not so later in the season. Black Locust pods on the other hand ARE poisonous. Don't eat those. At the risk of bursting your bubble again, Honey Locust thorns are not thorns at all, but spines.
From the archive: Vita Sackville-West sings the praises of sweet-briar
Discover how you can protect your home using natural, decorative barriers made from thorny bushes like Crown of Thorns and Chinese Flowering Quince.
Killing brush and weeds helps support habitat restoration and prevent fire. A combination...
Discover how you can protect your home using natural, decorative barriers made from thorny bushes like Crown of Thorns and Chinese Flowering Quince.
Prevent thieves from gaining easy access to your home’s windows using certain shrubs and an intentional landscape design. Knowing which bushes with thorns to plant in your yard will help take your home’s defense to another level. toddsmariettatreeservices.com gathered the following species, growing, and care information about thorny bushes that can enhance your property’s security system. 1. Rose (Rosa) A rose bush is a woody perennial flowering plant named for the flower it bears. There are more than three hundred species and thousands of cultivars. They form a group of plants that can be full-bodied shrubs, climbing, or trailing, with stems often armed with sharp thorns. Sun – Roses bushes thrive on direct sunlight and will perform their best when planted in locations that provide a minimum of four hours of direct sunlight. Soil – This species requires good drainage and rich, moisture-retentive soil, preferably with a 6.5 to 7 pH. Water – In temperate climates, two inches of weekly watering is often all that is needed. Thorns – You may be interested to know that roses do not have thorns. They do have prickles. Thorns are defined as modified leaf stems or parts of leaves, while prickles grow from the stem’s epidermis. Rose prickles grow to keep away predators. 2. Bougainvillea (Bougainvillea) Bougainvillea is a vigorous and chaotic plant producing long, trailing stems covered in sharp spines. This species can be grown as a climber or pruned into a free-standing shrub reaching up to 10 feet in height. Sun – This species needs a minimum of six hours of daily sun. Soil – This flowering, thorny bush grows thin roots, making a well-drained soil essential to its survival. Water – You can help this species avoid fungal diseases and root rot by providing deep waterings every three to four weeks. Thorns – This plant’s thorns are sharper than rose thorns and will easily scratch or prick. Unlike roses and other thorny plants, bougainvillea thorns have a coating at the tip designed to cause irritation. 3. Pyracantha (Pyracantha) Appearances can differ depending on the species, but the shrub typically has brilliant evergreen foliage, white flowers that produce clusters of orange-red berries, and needle-like protective thorns. The bush’s size can range from 5 to 12 feet high and 6 to 8 feet wide. Sun – This species prefers six to eight hours of daily sun. Soil – Planting this bush in highly fertile, well-drained soil will produce rampant growth. Water – One inch of water per week or more during hot and arid periods provides enough moisture for the bush. Thorns – Also referred to as firethorn (due to its flame-colored berries and prickly stems), this is a beautiful, easy-going, wildlife-friendly thorny shrub suitable for most gardens. 4. Blackberry (Rubus) Blackberry is most typically a shrub-like wildflower, measuring 5 to 7 feet tall. The species can be identified by its juicy, black, clustered berries and compound leaves. The radially symmetrical, white flowers bloom atop the bush’s terminal shoots of very thorny, robust stems. Sun – This species prefers eight hours of daily sun. Soil – Blackberries perform best in well-drained sandy or loamy soil types with a 5.5 to 6.5 pH. Water – Blackberries require 1 to 2-inches of water per week in the growing season and 4-inches per week during harvest. Thorns – Thorns are woody and relatively stronger and tougher than those of other species. Also, this bush’s thorns are difficult to break. 5. Holly (Ilex) Holly can be grown as large shrubs or trees, many of which have thick, spiky leaves, small white flowers, and yellow, orange, black, or red berries. Sun – Holly trees thrive in full sunlight. However, they can easily tolerate partial shade. Soil – Holly species thrive in loamy, well-drained soil kept evenly moist, with an acidic 5.0 to 6.0 pH. Water – Established bushes should receive at least 2-inches of water per week. Thorns – The edge of the leaves on this popular bush is wavy with spiny teeth. 6. Barberry (Berberis) This shrub species has leathery leaves that turn red or orange in the fall and tiny yellow springtime flowers. The species doesn’t produce fruit and has sharp thorns that can help keep deer and people away. Sun – This species prefers four to six hours of daily sun. Soil – These robust bushes can tolerate various soil types but will thrive in loamy, well-drained soil with a 6.0 to 7.5 pH. Water – Once established, this species is extremely drought tolerant and low maintenance, requiring only occasional watering. Thorns – This evergreen bush has extremely sharp, thorny branches. Thorny Bushes In this article, you discovered multiple bush species that grow with thorns and can provide a very effective security barrier around your home’s perimeter. Planting thorny bushes in your landscape can add definition and style to it while providing an additional layer of security against unwanted stalkers and intruders. Not planting deterrent bushes around your property can leave you vulnerable to crooks and thieves trying to gain from your lack of security. Sources: gardeningsolutions.ifas.ufl.edu/plants/trees-and-shrubs/shrubs/holly.html hgic.clemson.edu/factsheet/growing-roses/ plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/bougainvillea/ landscapeplants.oregonstate.edu/plants/pyracantha heritagegarden.uic.edu/blackberry extension.umd.edu/resource/japanese-barberry Todd’s Marietta Tree Services 200 Cobb Pkwy N Ste 428 Marietta, GA 30062 (678) 505-0266 Originally published on: http://www.toddsmariettatreeservices.com/bushes-with-thorns-for-increased-home-security/
Discover how you can protect your home using natural, decorative barriers made from thorny bushes like Crown of Thorns and Chinese Flowering Quince.
Although growing burning bushes can add big color to your landscape, there are also a few downsides to planting this blazing autumn shrub.
Zizyphus nummularia is a thorny small bush or a shrub 6-8 m, with widely divaricating, flexuosus, pale-purplish stems and grey velvety stipular prickles in pairs. The branches are widely divaricate, purplish in colour and with a velvety surface. The lateral roots system is deep and extensive.
Discover how you can protect your home using natural, decorative barriers made from thorny bushes like Crown of Thorns and Chinese Flowering Quince.
