Plants With Thorns - Our Security Guards

Nature has endowed us with almost everything. Plants, one of the most important element of nature, can be used to protect our homes too.

Our mother nature has equipped us with plants having thorns, spines and prickles.

Seeing from the maintenance point of view, Spiny plants can be inconvenient, but when it comes to our personal home security, these masters of pain use their clever defence mechanisms to safeguard our homes.

As a bonus, most of the plants are famous for their delicate blossoms in spring and colourful berries in fall.

Acacia

Acacia tress are sometimes associated with Australia, that means it takes a tough tree to survive in a tough land. Its leaves are also used to treat haemorrhoids.

But its the tree’s limbs that are not less than a punishment, if touched. Its barbarous branches are studded with curved thorns that excel at not letting go. However, there are other species too which have fewer thorns.

Black berry

Imagine of a plant having no roses, no fancy flowers but all canes and prickles. Their growing speed is incredible, due to this you need to be a very careful pruner and after all you will get those berries as a reward.

Crown of thorns

It usually needs support or a fence to hold it up. This tree is not only thorny, as its sap will irritate skin and if ever ingested, it can be toxic. So if you ever eat this thorny nightmare, you might experience some other problems too.

Firethorn

Along its stems and branches, it is armed with needle sharp spikes, hence its common name firethorn is no joke. It can grow 10 feet tall and nearly as wide. You need to be ready for battle, if you are trying to enter a yard protected by this thorny beast.

Honey Locust

Rough bark of the honey locust is covered with 6 inch dagger like thorns hence it is considered as Michael Myers of plants. Basically, thorns are to protect the tree from giant sloths and bears. These days they are at the verge of extinction.

Mahonia

They possess bright evergreen leaves and each waxy leaf is rimmed with Lilliputian spines that can penetrate even leather. If you are ready to play this dangerous game then clusters of edible blue black berries are waiting for you.

If anyone has kids or animals in the house then these plants may not be an option for them but they look more elegant than an unsightly barbed wire fence.