If you are anything like me, you will always opt to fill borders and pots with as many plants as possible. Whether your preference is for fragrance, flowers, or impressive foliage, there’s a plant to suit every yard and taste. However, some species might look good from afar but, up close, can pose a risk, producing spines and thorns that can cause damage.
As a professional gardener, I have a love-hate relationship with many plants with thorns and spines. Hawthorn, for example, makes a brilliant wildlife-friendly hedge, and its blossom is emblematic of the countryside. But pruning it and getting scratched hundreds of times is never a task I enjoy. Yet, like all plants, it has its place, just perhaps not in a yard with inquisitive children and nosy pets.
