Many people want their home to be charming and inviting both inside and out.  Typically, the landscaping outside of a home sets the stage of how it looks on the inside.  Criminals know this home design trick all to well.

They can tell which person on the block has the extra bucks laying around just by looking in the drive way. Your car and the contents in your trashcan say a lot of how well your financial life is going. They can also tell which person on the block lives in a false sense of security.  It’s usually the person with next to no security features outside of their home (no flood lights, security cameras, peep holes).  Criminals usually study the area they plan to steal from extensively before they actually strike. They could drive by to see what is in the trashcan (especially after the holidays), or even pretend they are a community helper and get invited into the home for some type of “inspection.”

Why Do People Break Into Homes?

The answer to this question is quite simple: because we make it so easy for them to do so.  Many people leave the vulnerable areas of the home unprotected for intruders to enter.  And typically, intruders will break into those vulnerable homes that have easy access to windows and doors. If the homeowners made things more difficult for them, the inruders will skip the home all together and move onto another home.

In an article on home security, there were many suggestions provided on how to prevent crime from occurring at one’s home.  This article will elaborate on the type of plants one can use for security.

Minimize Threats with Plant Thorn Bearing Trees, Shrubs and Vines

Planting thorn bearing plants in vulnerable spots of the home can ward off any possible break ins. Check your garden zone to see which varieties are best for the area you live.  Some of these plants are very prolific and can cover an area in a fast amount of time.  Do some research to see what plant works best for you and your home situation.

Some thorn bearing tree varieties to consider would be:

Trees with thorns on their trunk can help protect upstairs windows from being broken into.  Because who wants to scale a tree of thorns?

• Argentine Mesquite – This variety of tree bears 2-inch thorns in it’s bark making it a very intimidating tree to climb up.
• Honey Locust – This plant is a multi-purpose plant that not only provides a security defense with it’s sharp red thorns, but also has edible parts on the plant as well. The seed pods are edible and sweet and can be fed to livestock. In addition, the flowers this tree makes creates a nectar that attracts bees.
• Black Locust – This tree has smaller, 2-inch thorns on it’s main trunk.  However, if the thorn makes contact with skin, there will be swelling and pain.

 Thorn bearing vining plants:

These vining plants are good multi-taskers.  They serve as aesthetic beauty and provide preventative security at the same time!

• Bougainvillea
• Climbing roses
• Blackberry vines
• Catclaw creeper

Thorn bearing bush varieties:

• Pyracantha or fire thorn bush is not a bush to get caught up in.  The sting will radiate a burn-like feeling for hours. It is quite prolific and will definately make a statement of “back off.”
• Catsclaw acacia conceals it’s thorns under beautiful leaves and yellow flowers.
• Cacti are a great way to keep intruders out. Look for varieties such as the thorny chollas with 2-inch thorns.
• Rugosa roses are a thorn bearing variety, but are also functional in that they attract bees with their pollen and nectar.
• Oregon grape holly is both attractive and deterrent with it’s 2-inch thorns.
• The Washington hawthorn tree has attractive red berries and thorns.  It can be allowed to grow or pruned into a bush. Having these planted directly under windows will help deter any intruders.

These days, having a security alarm may not always prevent intruders and criminals from breaking into your home.  But a thorn bearing tree or bush can make a big difference!  As many individuals are starting to see, crime is increasing and people are beginning to make the effort to find alternative ways to beef up their home defense. By planting thorn bearing plants, bushes and trees around the vulnerable and exposed area of the home, can help to secure the property so that criminals will think twice before attempting to break in.