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Anyone have suggestions for a thorny barrier shrub to plant in upper HPP? This will be planted roadside, outside the fence, to deter midnight (or daylight) shoppers.
I am considering bougainvillea, also possibly pomegranate. Does anyone know if pomegranate is viable in these climate conditions?
My preference is for attractive but human hostile plants which will not need watering.
Thank you for any assistance you may be able to offer.
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We have Euphorbia lactea that some friends in HPP planted (14th Hilo of Maku'u)a bunch of cuttings as a natural thorn hedge to reduce kids & pigs coming into their land. We are always looking to thin ours out. Much of the base looks like this:
http://www.plantoftheweek.org/week114.shtml
with a lot of old crusty crests & some newer & nice, some with ruby highlights on the top of the crest.
The bulk of the plant looks more like:
http://www.plantoftheweek.org/week113.shtml
The latex sap is irritating & can cause blisters if left on the skin too long.
Bougainvillea is good, but grows so much, that you either do a lot of trimming (one of our neighbors have a fence of boug. that they have trimmed & topiaried to look more like a split rail fence with a flowery bushy top.
It you want free cuttings, email through the forum
both sound good!
Bougainvillea doesn't like too much water, so not sure if it would flourish in upper HPP, but if you look around and it's doing great nearby, it sure is easy to grow ...
Bougainvillea didn't fluorish in my Hilo yard, but goes nuts over in Waikoloa, Kona, and lower HPP. Not sure if it's too much water or not enough sunshine.
I've tried pomegranate in East Hawai'i. Mine died, and very few of my plants die here. Slugs ate it up. It may have gotten too much water as well.
As Carey said, boug will not be that attractive unless you're willing to trim it. It'll just throw long runners; it looks better compact and dense.
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there are a variety of palms, sagos, cactus that have spiny stems, leaves to detract animals/humans from entering areas you may want to protect.
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I have mulberry in my backyard. I'm not sure how attrctive you'd consider it but one thing's for sure- it sure would be discouraging to any potential "shoppers" !
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I found a website which shows what they call a 'living fence'. It's a fast growing shrub with 5" spikes. ideal for an anti invasion barrier.
Here's the URL:
http://www.crispbarriers.com/livingfence.html
I wonder if anyone recognizes the plant and can give me the name? I found another similar plant called 'Mentor Barberry' - is anyone familiar with this one?
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This may not apply to you, as they grow low to the ground.
You can try Aloe or Pineapple.
Stan
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One of my neighbors just planted her frontage with a barrier of various bromiliads, some that grow 4' tall and wide. She used all serrated leaf types. They come in bright colors and stripes, look pretty but are like rows of sawblades.
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Panax has been a popular, non-native living fence in the Islands. It's not thorny, but it can make a fairly tight barrier. But I suppose that a motivated "midnight shopper" might be able to get through. Whatever you do, don't use Himalayan Raspberry, or Florida Blackberry; there's way too much of that junk around already.
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quote:
a barrier of various bromiliads
only if you like skeeters!
Pua`a
S. FL
Big Islander to be.
Edited by - oink on 08/29/2007 06:37:04
Pua`a
S. FL
Big Islander to be.
