Say that one three times fast! As a landscape designer, I sometimes find the prickly plants hard to sell to my clients. The usual concern is that they have children or pets and are afraid the spiny plants will hurt them. Well…they might….but seriously, when’s the last time you heard of someone being really injured by a plant? Here’s my philosophy: teach children and pets about plants and how to respect nature. If they get too close on occasion, the worst thing that can happen is that they get a sticker or spine in their elbow or patootie, and then they will walk a wider circle around said plant in the future. From the landscaper’s or gardener’s point of view, avoid planting a prickly plant near a playscape or active walkway. These plants are better appreciated in the proper spot–back in the border or away from where people gather or walk.
What I love about these plants are their drought tolerance, textures, and architectural forms in the garden. They are typically deer-resistant as well, and tolerate a wide range of soils as long as they’re well-draining. I live and work in Austin, Texas–a land of severe drought interrupted by crazy gullywashers–and I’m telling you, these plants take a lickin’. One caveat, though–be careful of overwatering if you have an automatic irrigation system. Prickly plants will quickly rot if they are watered too much. Oh, and don’t pile up the mulch around the base of these plants; same thing will happen. Pull mulch away, or better yet, use gravel or decomposed granite as a suitable topdressing.
Golden barrel cactus (Echinocactus grusonii) is one of my favorite no-touchy plants! The form is so awesome, like spiny pincushions. You can buy them small at the nursery, but a 4″ pot could set you back $10 or so, so you can see that a large specimen can run into the hundreds of dollars. I like to buy the ones that are about 1′ across for $80.
Prickly pear cactus (Opuntia spp.) is probably my hardest sell to clients. When you grow up in Texas and see this plant thriving on the side of the road, it can lose its appeal and seem like a weedy trash plant, but I live for the day when a client gives me the green light on this one. Why? It has a rugged appeal to me, roots easily, has a beautiful yellow spring bloom and combines so well with native sprawling plants like homestead verbena. Be careful of the leaf-footed bug with this plant, though–prickly pear is particularly susceptible to this pest.
Sago palms (Cycas revoluta) obviously aren’t members of the cacti family, but man, they are sharp mamas! Their prickly fronds are killers. Clients like this one, though, because of their more tropical look.
Agaves (Agave spp.) are probably the most prickly of all. Their stiff sharp points are actually slightly toxic–I know agaves contain a chemical compound called saponins, so that’s the likely suspect. I once got poked in the knuckle by an agave spine and I had a small painful knot there for about 5 months. Eek! Here’s a tip from my client Sarah: when you’re working around the agave, put wine corks in the agave spines to avoid getting poked.
photo by enchantedgardenaz.com
Yuccas have pointy ends that require caution, too! And what’s up with the “soft tip” yucca–soft tip, my rear end! There’s nothing soft about that or any other yucca, so be careful around them.
Take the plunge with some prickly plants in your garden–there’s something so primitive and strikingly beautiful about them that keeps drawing me in!
{ 4 comments… read them below or add one }
Nice! Prickly plants are the best. Matti and I have been attacked by our agaves quite a few times, but we still love them. We use the dog nail clipper on the big spikes.
Oh, that’s a good idea! I’ll put that on my FB fan page and credit you with the brilliant idea! : D
Thank you for sharing this! I love the idea of using corks — I will do that next time — oh boy — I still have a few scratches from working with my spiky plants a few days ago… Eek! I really do love spiky plants and all the points they bring into the garden!
THE LAST TIME I WAS IN TEXAS WAS IN 2004, WHEN MY DAD DIED. I LIVE IN OHIO, AND NOW HAVE WILD PRICKLEY CACTUS GROWING AT MY OLD RENTAL HOUSE, IN THE BACK YARD. I NOTICED IN GROWING WILD WHEN I LIVED THERE. WE MUST HAVE BROUGHT SOME BACK FROM MY DAD’S AND IT SPREAD. SO, MY ? IS, HOW TO I TRANSPLANT THE CACTUS, TO A POT.