Property Line

[Lance Carbuncle]

Hello,

I am looking for a recommendation for a good drought tolerant plant that I can use for a non fenced property line. I saw a plant being used at Tropic World Nursery in Escondido as that was planted along their fence that I think they said was some kind of Euphorbia.... it had a lot of sharp pointy spikes on it. I think this would be great for what I want to do. Does anyone know what this plant might be? will it grow thick enough to deter critters like Coyote's from going through it? I was told that Euphorbia can produce some toxic sap... how toxic is it?

Lance

[palmbob]

Originally Posted by Lance Carbuncle

Hello,

I am looking for a recommendation for a good drought tolerant plant that I can use for a non fenced property line. I saw a plant being used at Tropic World Nursery in Escondido as that was planted along their fence that I think they said was some kind of Euphorbia.... it had a lot of sharp pointy spikes on it. I think this would be great for what I want to do. Does anyone know what this plant might be? will it grow thick enough to deter critters like Coyote's from going through it? I was told that Euphorbia can produce some toxic sap... how toxic is it?

I don't think you can grow anything thick or spiny enough to keep coyotes out. Can't recall what Euphorbia Tropic World has planted, though I have been there dozens of times. A good hedging plant that grows rapidly is Agave americana... I know several growers with expensive collections that use this as their hedge, and I know I would never try to cross it.

As for the Euphorbia sap, it is toxic, but how toxic is a hard question to answer. It is caustic more than actually toxic. You could eat it and it would fry your mouth and throat, but not sure what serious toxic principles it has other than that. And not all Euphorbia sap is equal. And not all people are equally sensitive. I hacked up my Euphorbia leucodendron yesterday and got oodles of dripping sap on my face, hair and hands and felt like I had a mild sunburn for a few hours. But I know people that that experience would send them to the hospital for a week or more. And you can rub the sap from a Poinsettia all over you and it would probably do very little harm, yet the sap from a Euphorbia tirucali (aka Pencil Cactus) burns the hell out of my skin. Still I hardly think any self respecting coyote could possibly care less about getting Euphorbia sap on itself, though I am sure none would ever try to eat one. And Coyote fur is pretty spine-resistant, so doubt the spines of any Euphorbia species would bother one too much. You want coyotes to stay out, build a 10' fence.

[agavegreg]

I just got back from NE Mexico and saw several creative living fences. The coolest one was a fence made of Yucca filifera. The plants were planted about 2 feet apart, were anywhere from 6-10 feet or more tall, and were "shoulder to shoulder" so to speak. Nothing was getting through that!

[Ron]

Many, many years ago I use to go camping at a place called Guadalupe Canyon. It was about an hours drive south of the highway between Mexicali and Tecate. Anyway, on the drive to the canyon we would pass these little ranches and virtually all of them were surrounded with a very tight fence of Ocotillo cuttings (Fouquieria splendens). Most of the fences were between 5-6 feet tall. I don't know if a coyote could jump over but I'm sure they couldn't squeeze in between because they were planted basically stem-to-stem. -Ron-

[rox]

Originally Posted by Lance Carbuncle

Hello,

I am looking for a recommendation for a good drought tolerant plant that I can use for a non fenced property line. I saw a plant being used at Tropic World Nursery in Escondido as that was planted along their fence that I think they said was some kind of Euphorbia.... it had a lot of sharp pointy spikes on it. I think this would be great for what I want to do. Does anyone know what this plant might be? will it grow thick enough to deter critters like Coyote's from going through it? I was told that Euphorbia can produce some toxic sap... how toxic is it?

Lance

Thanks for asking this Lance. I had the same exact question including what is being used at Tropic World.

[Ronald Chisum]

I only live a couple of miles from Tropic World. The plant in question is Austrocylindropuntia subulata. It is easy to propigate. I think they gave it a fair amount of water to establish that formitable hedge row. RON

[turtlewalker34205]

Hows about this plant.

[rox]

I am unable to see what you posted for some reason. Did you post a picture? It might be my browser.

[rpw]

Here's Turtlewalkers photo:
http://image76.webshots.com/76/8/2/3...8TvJnRJ_fs.jpg

Well that didn't work...
but when I open the link on his post in another tab the photo opens, so not sure what's going on...

[rox]

I get a similar or perhaps the same error. When I click on the link, it opens in a new browser window but gives an error. If I go to that browser window and hit enter on the URL, the picture comes up.

What is that alluaudia? I can't quite tell.

[Tim Harvey]

Fouquieria I would say... splendens or some morphologically similar species?? That cactus is a dead giveaway.

T

[turtlewalker34205]

Sorry I don't know what happen twith the photo and yes it is Fouquieria splendens.

[GermanStar]

Originally Posted by Ronald Chisum

I only live a couple of miles from Tropic World. The plant in question is Austrocylindropuntia subulata. It is easy to propigate. I think they gave it a fair amount of water to establish that formitable hedge row. RON

I agree. A. subulata cuttings take readily and quickly. The plant is a very fast grower, with profuse numbers of very long barbed needles. Mine went from a cute litlle cactus to a sprawling mass of switchblades in about three years.

[Boo Hollow]

A Cholla fence is a great deterent as are thick rows of Opuntia basilaris and O. littoralis. Where we have our O. basilaris and O. littoralis planted, our local coyote was observed chasing the quail. After running nose first into a few pads of the O. littoralis and coming away much the wiser, he now avoids the patch and will either run around it or just change direction and give up the chase. Even the deer avoid eating the plants.

I would think a mass planting of Puya would work as well. Look at the dense mass planted at HBG and there is no way a coyote could get through that. Benefit from great floral displays and feed the hummers at the same time

[wuzz]

Hello people
I am looking for sources for 1 to 10 gal. arid type trees... thorny Acacia.. Mesquite..maybe Euphorbia and thought I would ask here.
Mailorder might be ok..but prefer southern California.(San Diego).

I am not looking for hedges... but these entries gave me some good ideas.

Possible birddog'n reward is possible but might be in the form of Karma.
whatcha got?

[Boo Hollow]

If you don't mind an invasive species, Himalayan Blackberry forms an exceptionally dense thicket that will deter Coyotes. However, unless you screen every approach to the area you are trying to protect, animals will just go around.