Hostile Vegetation: 8 Plants to Use in Your CPTED-Friendly Flower Bed
When you want to keep a facility or campus feeling welcoming and healthy, but there’s still a need to deter bad actors from unauthorized access, picking the right vegetation can help when applied with crime prevention through environmental design (CPTED) principles.
There are times when traditional elements like fences and gates are undesirable. Some plants—especially those that are prickly or thorny—can pull double duty as natural barriers that keep unauthorized actors from getting too close to windows and provide occupants with privacy.
Plants can complement a physical security program. When considering whether to add them to a facility, grounds, or campus, determine beforehand whether the plant will do well in the site’s climate and relation to elements of sun and water. You should also avoid introducing invasive species, which can be demanding and difficult to maintain. With plants, it can also help to keep in mind what the organization is trying to achieve through CPTED—for example, while a bush may provide more privacy for a facility, its prickliness can also discourage anyone from trying to hide and lurk between branches.
Security Management spoke with Mark Schreiber, CPP, principal consultant at Safeguards Consulting, Inc., about which plants can smell or look pleasing to legitimate site visitors and employees, but give trespassers or would-be opportunistic criminals pause.
Here are the eight plant species he suggests security practitioners consider:
Rose bushes. Various strains of roses are native to Asia, Europe, North America, and Northwest Africa—in fact, there are more than 300 different species of roses. Watch out for their thorny stems, which feature prickles growing along their length.
Common Holly bushes. These evergreen bushes are commonly used in Christmas and holiday decorations, but their densely growing prickly leaves would discourage most from trying to sneak between or hide in the bushes.
Bougainvillea. While featuring beautiful colorful flowers, these vines, bushes, and trees also boast spiky thorns. These plants are native to South America and are popular in warm climates.
Agave bushes. Native to arid climates, these plants are succulents (meaning they require little water). While the blue agave is best known for its production of tequila, the other species are worthy of a toast from CPTED practitioners. The octopus agave features leaves with sharp spiked edges, which are so tough that they have been used for sewing needles.
Barberry shrubs. Although these shrubs produce small clusters of bright flowers and can generate lots of berries, neither you nor a trespasser would want to casually tangle with their sharp and prickly leaves. Although native to Europe, and parts of England, Africa, and Asia, it has also found a home in North America.
Crown of Thorns. Euphorbia milii is the scientific name for this flowering plant from Madagascar. Its common name refers to the thorns that cluster along stems ending in small red, pink, or white flowers. While its sap is poisonous and an irritant, the flower is also a natural alternative to pesticides, especially to get rid of slugs.
Prickly pear cactus. Members of the cactus family, these lovely flowering plants feature showy flowers and fruit. Like other cacti, however, these plants also have fixed spines and fine prickles that easily hook into skin and hair.
Firethorn bushes. These shrubs, like the holly bush, are evergreen. But as a unique addition to the list, this plant has true thorns that can easily puncture human skin. Once a thorn is in, it causes severe pain, but only a little inflammation. These bushes offer more than just a highly effective barrier, though. When you’re walking by them, please admire (from a distance) their lovely orange, red, or yellow fruit which look like small berries.
Sara Mosqueda is associate editor for Security Management magazine. Connect with her via LinkedIn or email her at [email protected].
