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A cactus fence is a hedge or fence made of closely spaced cactus plants, sometimes with barbed wire or wood interwoven with the cacti.
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/b/b4/Cactus_fence%2C_Dutch_Antilles.jpg/220px-Cactus_fence%2C_Dutch_Antilles.jpg)
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/b/b3/Cactus_fence%2C_House_of_Frida_and_Diego.jpg/220px-Cactus_fence%2C_House_of_Frida_and_Diego.jpg)
Purpose
editSuch fences are inexpensive to develop in regions where cacti are common, and can provide an extreme deterrent to any but a determined human intruder. Often their primary function is to keep wandering large animals off a private property.
Design
editSometimes, cacti are used as barriers without being formed into a structured fence. Prickly pears (mostly Opuntia stricta) were imported into Australia in the 19th century for use as a natural agricultural fence and to establish a cochineal dye industry, but quickly became a widespread weed.
In the American southwest, ocotillo stems are often set in the ground to form a structure similar to a cactus fence.
References
edit- The cactus family, 2001, Edward F. Anderson, pp. 68–9.