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Wall of spikes!
HI everyone,
i'm looking for a plant which would act as a defensive barrier. ideally some kind of bramble that would be there all year round and it could climb over a wire fence.
i like the idea of the white tipped bramble but the spread of that is a bit too much. ideally i'd prefer something that would in time make a wall of spikes to stop intruders but the depth only being a metre or so
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Go for Berberis x stenophylla. I'm terrified to death of mine!
Last edited: 27 July 2016 11:58:48
thanks for the suggestion, yes it looks terrifying! i was hoping for something that would climb and spread and create a wall though, this looks to be more of a bush
You could plant several along your wire fence. Despite being a beast it is a lovely plant and has yellow flowers
You can't beat pyracantha, it can be pruned to keep in check also. I had two huge ones under the kitchen window in my old house to prevent burglaries.
I let it get very bushy. Looks lovely all year round too.
what sort of height would that get to?
you know, i might end up having a mixture as long as they are evergreen. i was also thinking of pyracantha as one option
You can prune both plants mentioned to the height you want. Mine never gets higher than 6 feet.
both suggestions are vicious, as is hawthorn
I wouldn't go for bramble, the old stems need cutting out and the new stems smack you in the face.
In the sticks near Peterborough
to be honest, i'm not all that keen on hawthorn as it just reminds me of the hedges we had at school!
i'm off to the local garden centre now to see if they have any pyracantha or berberis
How about a climbing/rambling rose? Rosa 'Mermaid' is vigorous, very thorny and has beautiful large pale yellow flowers.
H-C
I'll second the pyracantha suggestion. It looks good all year and has lethal spines plus bees love the flowers.