Native Plants

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Saturday - January 17, 2015

From: Baton Rouge, LA, LA
Region: Southeast
Topic: Shade Tolerant, Vines
Title: Thorny vines for a shady Louisiana fence
Answered by: Guy Thompson

QUESTION:

Do you know of a fast growing, non-invasive, thorny vine that I can grow along a shady fence row in Baton Rouge, Louisiana?

ANSWER:

A climbing rose is the logical choice. Rosa setigera (Climbing prairie rose) would seem to be a good plant for your location. Other wild roses are not so well suited to your area. Another possibility is Smilax bona-nox (Saw greenbrier). You may not find the latter plant in a nursery, but it is commonly seen in shady thickets, at least in Texas. It grows fairly slowly, but provides a good barrier when mature.

From the Image Gallery

Climbing prairie rose
Rosa setigera

Sawbriar
Smilax bona-nox