17 Plants with Prickly Leaves: Great Choices for Gardens

Plants with prickly leaves can leave some people a little wary about growing them.

However, they can turn out to be quite beautiful, charismatic, and even a bit functional – examples include aloe vera and agave.

In this article, you’ll find 17 of the most interesting plants with spikes, thorns, and needles.

List of Spiky Plants With Prickly Leaves

1. Barrel Cactus

Stout and prickly, this cactus is a great plant to use as a barrier against large unwanted intruders. It is extremely low maintenance as long as you provide it with its basic growing requirements.

These cacti serve as beautiful living blocks, defending spaces from animals and humans alike. As with most succulents, they can serve to quench thirst in emergencies.

2. Honey Locust

This tree is known by other names, such as sweet bean, sweet locust, and three thorn acacia, among others. The sweet bean tree can start fruiting as early as 3 years after it has been planted.

Fast-growing yet potentially invasive, this tree does well in areas that need shade in a relatively short time.

3. Porcupine Tomato

This spiky tomato is known by another name, the Devil’s Thorn. Aside from being one of the best defensive plants for gardens, this spiky plant is quite attractive as a protective hedge, with its bright red-orange spiky thorns on fuzzy gray leaves and purple flowers.

4. Oregon Grape

 While this plant can be deceptively beautiful, its leaves can leave accidental scratches on the skin. Their sour fruits are used in preserves and jellies, although too much can cause some people to experience diarrhea.

The roots and barks are sometimes used as natural dyes for wool. Aside from these, they are wonderful additions to flower arrangements.

5. Devil’s Walking Stick

Scientifically known as Ariala spinosa, this thorny shrub has an unusual name befitting its strange appearance.

Aside from being a showy, attractive ornamental plant, this fast-growing shrub has flowers favored by pollinators, seeds eaten by birds, and leaves grazed on by gentle herds of deer.

Its fruit and aromatic spicy roots were traditionally used for many cures, including toothaches.

6. Agave

There are so many varieties of agave and most of them have their signature spiky leaves. Enigmatic yet intimidating, agave plants are perfect additions to tropical and desert gardens.

Once it flowers, an agave plant will die. However, baby agave plants usually grow out from the base of the parent, eventually replacing it.

7. Aloe Vera

Another spiky succulent, the aloe vera plant is a wonderful addition to any home, whether indoors or outdoors. Not only does the flesh of the aloe vera plant benefit skin burns and cuts, but it can also lower blood sugar levels if taken internally.

Additionally, the prickly aloe plant purifies the surrounding air, emits beneficial oxygen, and reduces toxins in the air.

8. Holly

Lush and green, holly plants look quite inviting but can mislead people into touching their prickly foliage.

Grow this wonder for the perfect winter holiday look, or cultivate it as the perfect protective hedge plant. While the berries are attractive and make perfect holiday decorations, avoid eating them as they are poisonous.

9. Bull Thistle

This weed with thorny leaves is known by many spiky plant names, such as bird thistle, blue thistle, spear thistle, and swamp thistle.

Despite its menacing appearance, the bull thistle is the sixth-largest provider of nectar to many birds, bees, and butterflies. It is a commercial crop that is cultivated in Australia for its therapeutic benefits.

10. Prickly Pear Cactus

With its deep and wide roots, the prickly pear cactus easily absorbs rainwater. It features thick and fleshy stems that store water.

The plant is extremely efficient at preventing water loss due to its waxy coating. Grow this if you’re looking for low-maintenance houseplants that function as a protective barrier.

11. Lace Aloe

The lace aloe goes by other names, such as torch plant, bristle tip aloe, and guinea fowl aloe.

It is identified by its clumps of attractive rosettes composed of soft spines. During mid-summer, it produces bright showy coral-orange blossoms.

12. Venus Fly Trap

This weed with thorny leaves is known by many spiky plant names, such as bird thistle, blue thistle, spear thistle, and swamp thistle.

Despite its menacing appearance, the bull thistle is the sixth-largest provider of nectar to many birds, bees, and butterflies. It is a commercial crop that is cultivated in Australia for its therapeutic benefits.

13. Haworthia

The leaves of this small succulent are tightly packed, growing up to 5 inches tall. They can be grown outside but are mostly cultivated indoors as desk plants.

Requiring very little care, Haworthia plants can act as decorative deterrents to unwanted visitors. Water them once or twice a week and only when the topsoil is dry.

14. Snake Plant

A succulent plant with upright pointy leaves that many consider spiky, the sansevieria is hard to kill. As long as it receives occasional water and some form of light, it can survive any growing environment.

It is often grown outside as an attractive border. Indoors, it is usually kept in containers to decorate areas that require greenery without any high maintenance.

15. Yellow Tower Cactus

The orange spikes may look intimidating, but this cactus is actually quite harmless. If you’re looking to grow cacti with a visual and textured appearance, this one may be for you.

To keep them small, place the plants in pots. Left in the ground, this cactus can easily produce clusters and reach up to 3 feet in height.

16. Dragon Tree

The dragon tree can sometimes grow to over 6 feet tall. Even potted cultivars can reach this height easily, especially when optimal sunlight, water, and fertilizer are provided.

Additionally, the dragon tree can readily remove toxic chemicals in the air while releasing large amounts of oxygen.

17. Yucca

The yucca plant is noted to be one of the most efficient plants in producing oxygen. Aside from this, the plant is known to eliminate air toxins, especially inside homes.

Certain cultivars of the yucca are edible, producing flowers and fruits. It is pollinated by the yucca moth, which is dependent on the plant for food as the plant is also dependent on this moth for reproduction.

Conclusion

Plants with spiky leaves can look intimidating, but they also have benefits.

Let’s go over some of them:

• The thorny leaves can serve as protection against animals and intruders.
• Many of the plants mentioned are great sources of nectar for many birds, bees, and butterflies.
• Most of the plants with spiky leaves have health benefits when properly processed.

Seeing as these plants each have their advantages, you can grow as many as you wish!

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