Thorny Hedge Rows

Plants Nursery Management
#1

In need or suggestions for thorny hedge rows to keep people and animals out of farms.

  • Adaptable to low land Haiti
    Fast gowing
    Forms a thicket
    Painful
#2

Have you heard of Fever Tree? Vachellia xanthophloea. It has thorns that nothing would want to go through. They grow to be tree-sized but they would make a great living fence is you topped them at 4 or 5 feet. Water would be a constraint, they are not drought tolerant. Apple Ring Acacia (Faidherbia albida) is a similar tree. It is usually a very large tree but could be coppiced easily. It has much smaller thorns but they are shaped like cat claws and it is very drought tolerant.

#3

Yon lot blan nan Aiyti!? We’re in the mountains above Arcahaie. Where are you?

We’re growing living fences too but in the highlands. Have you tried ti janvier (Biancaea decapetala)? I don’t know for sure if it would suit the low lands but it definitely fits your description for up here. I can put you in touch with a botanist in DR who could probably give you much better suggestions. Send a WhatsApp message (16474788470) if you want me to put you in touch with him.

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#4

Thank you for your response, the team I work with Les cayes

#5

@Clint_Bower , @Mike_Martin or @Bryan_Beachy do you have any suggestions?

#6

There’s a cactus used in the south that works very well. I’m not 100% sure on the botanical name, might be Euphorbia lactea. But it’s all over the south and usually known by the common name “kandelanm” it’s very effective and I’d highly recommend it.

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#7

Thanks. The team is using a cactus but people are hacking it with a machete.

#8

In our area, people use both the ti janvye and kandelom. I know ti janvye has different names in different places.

Unfortunately, it’s pretty hard to hold up against people with machetes or hungry goats in dry season. In some areas we have successfully worked with the farmers and local government officials to reign in the free range grazing. But that all depends on the local farmers and the local officials. Some areas are very difficult.

#9

you could try Bouganvillea planted close together - very pretty as well as thicket thick and painful thorns

#10

Thanks. Have you had success using it?

#11

I have used bouganvillea to keep thieves out of the compound. planted it on a vulnerable section to reinforce a woven wire fence. Cattle on others’ places shy away from the thorns. I am not sure about goats. Bouganvillea is the method used in Nairobi, Kenya to prettify garbage dumps and keep people from sorting through trash.

I report from central africa, north Cameroun

#12

The species Vachellia macracantha or Acacia macracantha is widely used for living fences. It is very thorny, leafy and its hard stem is difficult to cut. It grows very well in dry, arid or clay soils and also in stony areas.

Another fast growing species with many other benefits besides living fence (food, medicinal, soil improvement) is Opuntia ficus-indica. It is a cactus but can grow to 2.5 meters or more and make a good fence.