I recently came across a very big cactus plant that's more like a tree than a cactus. This thing has some really nasty thorns that could seriously ruin your day. This is my kind of plant! I'm hoping to get a few cuttings from the owner and hopefully can start a few of these "cactus trees" of my own.
I don't know what kind of cactus it is but do know that it's got some really nasty thorns. This is just what I'm looking for to add a little Stealth Security around the house.
Got thorns?
Staying above the water line!
Riverwalker
Posts
18 comments:
Man, I've never seen that critter, looks like something out of Men In Black movie set. Not exactly something I would want to lean against, lol.
Bouganvillia (sp?) for us, thats what we put under our bedroom windows. Grows easy down here, pretty flowers too.
Prickly pear provides nopalitos in season, and is extremely drought resistant. Doing some research on how Native Americans used the natural growing plants around them would be very useful.
To: anonymous 7:35
It's a nasty one for sure. Can't wait to get some of my own started!
Big, nasty thorns...gotta love 'em!
Thanks anon!
RW
My favorite thorny barrier are blackberry bushes. You get the benefit of the protection, and fruit to boot.
The prickly pear, as well. The fruits are fantastic for eating or making into jam.
Siberian Pea Shrub makes a great fence. Big thorns and dense.
My 20 acres are surrounded by 6 ft deep Farm drainage ditches on 3 sides. These ditches in turn are OVERGROWN at the edge by wild blackberries. Great berries in early summer, and would not want to get hung up in them either. Have been "caught" a few times on the tractor....not fun.
Mother Nature can come up with some really nasty ways to deter unwanted guest!
Been in the cactus a few times by accident, and not something I want to do again!
http://www.timebomb2000.com/vb/showthread.php?t=51900&highlight=harmon+seaver
excerpts:
Like the eastern locust, mesquite is a nitrogen-fixing legume. And also like the locust it has many sharp spines, making it ideal for trimming into a dense man-or livestock-proof hedge. Growing to 20 feet tall, this plant provides security in more ways than one. Prowlers or potential looters can easily be disheartened by such a barrier surrounding a house. Nor would its wealth be evident to the gaze of the average brigand searching for food stocks and other valuables.
...............................
If trimmed as a hedge, the Siberian pea shrub grows into a spiny, impenetrable 24-foot-tall buffer covered with nutritious seedpods. The young green pods are eaten as a vegetable, while the mature seeds contain 36% protein and are used in recipes calling for dried beans or peas. If protected from livestock while small, pea shrubs will form an excellent cattle-and-man-proof fence, providing nourishing livestock and wildlife feed and cover - all the while awaiting to serve you with life-sustaining fare in hard times.
To: Chief instructor
Blackberry vines work good and are an excellent choice, especially for the food value!
Multi-use plants! These are a good thing.
Thanks Chief Instructor!
RW
To: anonymous 11:10
Never seen a Siberian Pea Shrub that i know of...need to check that one out!
Thanks anon!
RW
To: USMCinSC
I've got a lot of prickly ash trees out at the farm. They can be kind of nasty also if you aren't careful. I've also been "slapped" a few times by some mesquite and huisache limbs while using my tractor. You are absolutely right about it not being fun....so funny it hurts!
Thanks USMCinSC!
RW
BTW, my wife's sister and her husband are both ex'Marines. Marines rock!
To: HermitJim
Sometimes it's the little ones that are the worst. We have a lot of the "pencil" cactus around here...it'll get you when you aren't looking...very unpleasant stuff and hard to see sometimes!
Thanks Jim!
RW
To; vlad
As always Vlad, you have provided some excellent information and insight! Thanks for the link!
RW
One of the best, "No way am I even getting NEAR that" plants, IMO, is Poncirus Trifoliata 'Flying Dragon'. A.K.A. Bitter Orange.
http://www.waysidegardens.com/gardening/PD/49959
Most cold hardy citrus - to 0 degrees F. 1in - 1.5in thorns. 8ft-12ft tall, 12ft-15ft wide. Can be hedged. Hedging makes them thicker. A 10-12 foot thick hedge has been rumored to be able to stop a car at moderate speeds. Edible fruit; but bitter. I have one in my yard. Abumdant fruit. great for chutney's or marmalades. I've yet to see any critters go after the fruit. Too dangerous. :) Went through last years drought just fine. Looks to be able to grow anywhere south of the mason-dixon line, and maybe a little farther north. Hardy to zones 6-10.
I'm goint to try and propogate with the seeds from this harvest in the spring.(just now pulling fruit here in NC)
Don't know if you can find it in TX, but may be worth looking into. (site linked above says will not ship to TX) :-(
This tree is the razor wire of the plant kingdom!
Do you have any huisache growing up your way? Man, that stuff is tenacious, and thorny as all get out I imagine those plants planted in a row and intertwined to form a hedge would make an armadillo cry just thinking of crossing that.
Heres a link to description of growing habits of it.
http://tinyurl.com/yhgtdbt
Have a good weekend RW.
To: theBman
Will check it out but sounds like it may be a prohibited species her in Texas. Will check the link! Thanks.
RW
To: anonymous 12:12
Huisache? I've got so much of that I'll never be able to get rid of it if I tried. Got plenty of it and the flat tires to prove. It's a nasty one for sure.
Thanks anon.
RW
Russian Olives are very fast growing, with very long thorns, very drought tollerant. The nursery catalogues sell them very cheap. I had one that came with a group of trees. I did not keep it pruned for a tree. It became a huge dense bush very quiuckly with no added water or attention. Birds love the olive looking fruit. Birds, a good warning indicator for intruders.I have seen them in NM, Tx, Ar & Co. I am sure they are in many states. I plan to circle my place with them.
To: anonymous 6:13
Thanks for the tip about Russian olives. Sounds like another great plant that can be used for additional security.
Thanks anon.
RW
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