Rose Thorns

Rose thorns are one of the "prickly" parts of gardening for sure. Sorry, had to throw that bad pun in there:) Find out more about how to deal with these nasty parts.

Technically, they are called prickles. They've evolved over millions of years to be a protective mechanism. They originally were hairs that grew over time to be more coarse, as those plants with larger prickles would survive and breed. Animals soon learn not to munch on things that are going to choke them!

Some of the thorniest varieties available today include the mermaid, wild roses, and some of the old damasks, if you're looking to add those to your garden. In modern times, thorny growers make good candidates for hedges. Its definitely a good set of security to help protect against animals and would-be intruders.

If you have some thorny plants in your garden, the best tools are a good set of gloves and a stripper. Those can make your life much easier when handling some nasty canes. Understand that the thorns are still part of the skin of the plant, and excessive removal can damage the growth. Its fine to do it for cut flowers though, and can make the arrangement much nicer and easier to handle. You'll also want to strip off any thorns before adding to compost, as it will allow the process to begin quicker by exposing more of the stem to air.

Sometimes the best thing to do is to look into thornless roses. These are much easier to work with, especially for a newbie.

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