OUCH

[ACE]

What is it, I know it is an awful thing to prune. Very very sharp

[ACE]

[cambourne7]

...do the spikes have little needles sticking out of them or is the spike itself what hurts?

.. how long did it take to get to that size?

[ACE]

Spikes on the ends. You would die if you fell in it.  I dont know the age but it is 5m high and about 3m across.

[emmy1978]

You would die if you fell in it. 

  ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D

[kitten]

Can we have some then, it might 'deal' with the b*****ds who keep vandalising our site  :-X ;)

[cambourne7]

ace i am sorry i have asked a few people here and no one has a clue what the plant is.

[Tin Shed]

It would be brilliant around all the boundary on our site as well - must find out what it is!

[jennym]

Is it Colletia paradoxa? or some sort of Colletia, anyway?

[ACE]

Yes that the one , I just looked it up now I know the name, also known as the barbed wire bush. Keeps out everything including deer. Must be hardy as it will grow  in Scotland. I would not recommend it if you have children.

[Amazin]

I can vouch for the sharpness, ACE. I have a relative of your plant - Colletia hystrix - only a baby at present, but it's a bit like having a tiger cub in the garden - doesn't mean any harm but could do a great deal of damage!   :o

[Tin Shed]

Sounds just what we need on our plot after the vandals two nights ago - canteen, office and shop broken into, the canteen had the lintel over the door  and two breeze blocks removed so they could get in - all for  a few pounds from the charity jar. And 40 or so sheds were broken into - but what is really wierd, as far as we know nothing was taked from the sheds.

[weedbusta]

i'm renewing the fence at the back of my plot which backs onto a graveyard wall. theres a rotten 6ft fence topped with barbed wire, then an 8ft security fence in front of that. there's a few hawthorn trees in the space between. i've tried to put in brambles etc between the wall and the fence but would love some of that too. the more likely they are to rip you apart the better.

[manicscousers]

we've just planted 100 rosa rugosa roses, they call it the barbed wire rose, that'll teach them  ;D

[saddad]

and you get pretty flowers and free hips!
;D

[manicscousers]

and they came with instructions for rose hip syrup, wine and jelly  ;D

[Tin Shed]

I have planted sloes - sloe gin!! - and a rugosa rose and am getting very good at bramble weaving. We all keep trying to keep the boundary intruder proof, but it is a big site with a long boundary along along a path.