Teenage menace
What do you do when teenagers from a neighboring school use your site as a shortcut to the mall? This is a real problem at a site I know and the access point used by the teenagers happens to be next to the strata president’s unit. The dudes simply jump over the wall and head for the mall. But the president was on it.
Since there are mature Pyracantha specimens planted along other walls in the complex, it made sense to add more. And using Pyracantha for security isn’t a new idea. I’ve done it before: I had to plant several Pyracanthas at a weak point along an underground parking wall. All sorts of degenerates were breaking into the building so we planted Pyracanthas to deter them. I actually never found out if it worked.
Why Pyracantha?
So, why plant Pyracantha? I’m sure you can guess from its common name: fire thorn. The plant sports nasty thorns. They’re stiff and long and when they penetrate your skin, the wound can swell up. That’s why we call it “fire thorn”. Years later, I’m still traumatized by one nasty hit to my thumb. It really hurt.
The plants are also fairly cheap. The only outrageous part of this project was my hourly labor rate.
Pyracanthas produce attractive red or orange ornamental berries in clusters which really stand out. Personally, I like the shrub but I hate pruning it. Even the clean-up is best delegated to workers who don’t value their skin so much.
The pruned pieces snag in tarps and on your clothes so we know the teenagers are in for a nasty surprise when they jump over the wall. Maybe not right away but as the plants mature there will be some teenage blood spilled. Problem solved? I think so.
Planting
The shrubs aren’t picky. We spaced them nicely, not too tight because they will mature and fill up the space. Future pruning is guaranteed. The shrub tolerates power shearing. Only brave landscapers hand prune this shrub.
It’s always a good idea to top-dress your installed plants. The fresh soil gives them a “kick” and the bed looks great. Don’t forget to water your new plants.
If you need a shrub to deter intruders from invading, Pyracantha is a good choice for green shrub security.
