Looking for a plant barrier

What would make a nice plant barrier to discourage trespassing?

barberry-I hate the stuff but it is really prickery!

If you have room to plant stuff in front of the barberry (on the inside of your garden I mean), I agree. It's AWFULLY thorny stuff. The company that built all the homes in our division planted 6 barberry bushes outside each building. As soon as I had a sunny day I went to them with clippers and pulled them all out. But that took quite a while and I got more stabs than I could count in the process. They are very painful plants to come in contact with. They have lovely burgundy color though! So that's why I say if you can plant something in front of them as a "cushion" to keep yourself from getting poked, then that would be a great deterrent to trespassing....unless the person trespassing was a true masochist!

-Julie

I'm thinking rasberry bushes...that way I get double duty ;)

I never came in contact with raspberry bushes. Are those thorny too? It's impossible (quite literally) to touch a barberry without getting stabbed. At least in my experience LOL Raspberries right in your own garden....oh how FUN that would be! And think of all the birds you'd attract too ;-) You're giving me ideas I shouldn't be getting...I have no more ROOM for more bushes!

-Julie

I was going to say Raspberry or Blackberry bushes or if you want something really tall Osage Orange is great too. It has really long spines. I don't know about your zone and it but it grows in my zone.

Another plant would be to put some of those great old fashioned shrub roses. Some of them are BRUTAL and very pretty flowers too along with ease of care compared to the more hybrid roses.

Poison Ivy.

My advice would be to thoroughly research any raspberry or blackberry plant before installing it in a residential garden. Many of them are very thorny and extremely invasive. After a bad experience at one home in the early 80's, I did it again at my next home thinking I could control them. NOT.

Some of the islands in the Sacramento Delta have inpenetrable barriers of Blackberry. Pick them from the waterside and it makes for a delicious dessert while boating!

There are some that don't run underground, grow mainly upright and are purported to be thornless, but with the scars to show from my encounters I will still be buying mine from the local grocer. :-)

Worse than running Bamboo and Bermuda grass and they bite!.

My Fairy rose is pretty thorny. But it only gets so high. Something like prickly pear or another type of hardy cactus might help. I thought about Yucca also. Anything that is strong and can withstand wind and keep people from crossing it.
I planted three fairy roses outside the front of my chain link so kids don't get too close when the dogs are out there. I don't want anyone sticking their fingers in the fence or the dogs poking their noses through either. Unless you get right into it, you wouldn't know it was a barrier. The thorns are plentiful and hurt plenty.

I have a lovely Blackhaw Viburnum-no pests or disease here-lovely fall color-pokey "spine" things and a very dense habit. Smells like dog doodoo for a couple weeks in the fall. :) Also love the barberry and rosa rugosa.

AlohaHoya ROTFLMAO! :-D

-Julie