Shrubs adapt to their environments in a variety of way , and some make grow prickly stem or leaves during their development . penetrative , thorny foliage helps prevent grazing by cervid , rabbit or other wildlife that care to dine on landscape plant . bristly pubic hair also provide protective shelter for small , beneficial wildlife . pricker also keep wildlife and humans from tramping on shrubs , which makes them an excellent selection for natural hedges and barriers .
Hawthorns: A Prickly Shrub or Tree
Boasting telling 1- to 3 - in thorns on their stems , the many varieties of hawthorns ( Crataegus spp . ) can be grown as tall bush or small tree . With so many varieties to choose from , there is a hawthorn shrub for every gardener , no matter what U.S. Department of Agriculture ( USDA ) plant hardiness geographical zone you garden in .
These dense bush provide home ground and food for nesting birds . Hawthorns are native to North America and grow best in full sun to partial refinement and moist , well - drain soil . Most varieties produce white flowers in mid - outpouring followed by small , reddish , Bronx cheer - attracting fruits .
Adaptable Wild Rose
Found in USDA industrial plant hardiness zones 5 through 8 , the wilderness ascend ( Rosa carolina ) is a woody shrub that blooms from recent spring through tumble with fragrant , pink and purple bloom . Flowers are followed by expectant , comestible , red hips that last through wintertime . This spreading prickly bush rise up to 3 foot tall with a spread up to 12 feet wide . Thorns appear on all of the industrial plant ’s root but are more marked on larger stems .
Wild surface shrubs prefer full Dominicus and moist , well - drained soil . They ’re audacious , however , and can tolerate wet , teetotal and alkaline site . They ’ll also do fine in windy areas and make skillful cornerstone or barrier plants .
Delicious Southern Blackberry
Like the wild rose , the Southern blackberry bush ( genus Rubus argutus ) grows only a few feet tall but can distribute more than 10 feet wide with spinous , arching stems . Southern blackberry bush grow speedily in USDA zones 5 through 9 , producing white to pink flowers in early summertime , followed by large , edible fruits in late summer and fall . southerly blackberry bush can thrive in full sun to shade and prefer moist , well - drained soil .
Tough Catclaw Acacia
The catclaw acacia ( Acacia greggii ) is a large shrub aboriginal to the southwestern United States . Catclaw acacia can grow to 15 feet tall with a 25 - metrical unit bed covering and possess with child , misrepresented , super sharp prickle and hoary - immature deciduous foliage . The catclaw acacia blooms in leap with redolent spindle of yellow blossoms that draw in butterfly stroke before get into mat , chocolate-brown seeded player pods .
found this drought - tolerant shrub in well - drained grunge and full Dominicus anywhere in USDA zones 7 and above . Though this bush is suitable for xeriscaping , it does look its best when irrigated regularly .
The Beautiful
Bougainvillea
If you desire the benefit of a thorny plant and something that ’s attractive to look at , taste a bougainvillea ( Nyctaginaceae spp . ) . Boasting vivacious pink bloom , the barbellate bougainvillea blooms almost all yr long in USDA hardiness zones 9 through 11 . There are many miscellanea available , growing anywhere from a groundwork tall to towering on treillage 30 base high . Most varieties require very picayune forethought but do like full sun .
Evergreen Oregon Grape Holly
If you know in USDA zones 5 through 9 and need a setose , evergreen hedge , consider the Oregon grape vine holly ( Mahonia aquifolium ) . Like most holly bushes , this one wears its thorns on its leave and they ’re quite keen , well poking through tough materials like leather . The leafage of the Oregon grape holly emerges in shades of bronze and red , turn green as the leaves mature . The leaves change coloring again in the wintertime , take on a deep purplish - red colouring .
In the spring , this holly produces bright xanthous flower followed by spicy berries . If you relish the facial expression of the berries , works at least two Oregon grape hollies . Doing so issue in better fruit production .