Plants recommended for their defensive properties on the Crime Prevention Website that also benefit wildlife

Shrubs and trees

Plant and Defensive Flowers / berries Height1, type, Wildlife benefits defence grade Properties1 and how to plant (1st-3rd)1

Berberis sp. All Berberis are Deciduous varieties 3m Best planted in Food and shelter spiny and make have good autumn a group with other Berberis thunbergii excellent barrier colour, flowers April- shrubs. An B. thunbergii can provide berries (3 effective hedges May, has berries2 evergreen, it into autumn and winter2 defense) prefers full sun and a moist soil, Birds are attracted to the Berberis growing slowly2 berries, whilst the thorns provide a stenophylla barrier for safe nesting sites2 (2 very effective defense)

Japonica, A thorn-bearing Attractive red or 2m A thorny, Food: flowers and berries3 Japanese Quince shrub with orange spring flowers spreading shrub white flowers which are followed by that can be Birds eat fruit and use dense Chaenomeles that is often sizeable yellow fruit3 allowed to do its branches as protection and nest speciosa wall trained own thing. Will sites. (2 effective tolerate some Flowers attractive to bees and defense) shade3 bumblebees3 Provides nectar and pollen for solitary bees4 Plant and Defensive Flowers / berries Height1, type, Wildlife benefits defence grade Properties1 and how to plant (1st-3rd)1

Hawthorn Ideal hedge White flowers in late 7+m Tolerates a Food and shelter5 barrier, thorny spring followed by wide variety of Blackbird, Bluetits, Bullfinch, Crataegus and dense bright red berries5 conditions, Chaffinch, Crows, Dunnock, monogyna including polluted Goldfinch, Robin, Starlings, Waxwings (1 extremely and exposed etc feed on berries5 5A effective) sites Black Veined White Butterfly Crataegus caterpillar food plant. Flowers also prunifolia a visited by adult butterflies seeking compact variety nectar: Brimstone, Chinese (1 extremely Character, Grey Dagger, Lackey, Lappet, Lesser Yellow Underwing, effective) Light Emerald, Mottled Beauty, Mottled Pug, Swallowtailed, Vapourer and Yellow-tail Moth food plant. Small Eggar Moth food plant when hedges left untrimmed in summer5

Host to innumerable insects5

Small mammals e.g. mice, bank voles and foxes take berries5 Plant and Defensive Flowers / berries Height1, type, Wildlife benefits defence grade Properties1 and how to plant (1st-3rd)1

Common Holly Ideal for barrier Male and female 2m Grows in any Food and shelter6 plantings flowers are on soil and copes well Ilex aquifolium separate shrubs; for with full sun or Bees and bumblebees collect its (2 very effective a female shrub to shade6 nectar and pollen. defense) produce berries, it must be pollinated by Caterpillars of the holly blue a male growing butterfly eat buds and flowers. nearby6 Birds: Thrushes, Robins, Dunnocks, finches etc. use it for nesting as it provides excellent protection.

Blackbirds, thrushes etc. eat berries.

Hedgehogs, small mammals, toads and slow worms hibernate in deep leaf litter that builds up beneath it6 Plant and Defensive Flowers / berries Height1, type, Wildlife benefits defence grade Properties1 and how to plant (1st-3rd)1

Oregon Grape Low growing Clusters of bright 1.5m Vigorous, Food7 shrub with spiny yellow flowers are suckering shrub Mahonia aquifolium leaves produced in spring, that can cope with Nectar and pollen may be taken by (3 effective followed by spherical, most soils and Blackcaps, Bluetits and House defense) blue-black berries7 thrive in shady Sparrows. Berries eaten by spots where many Blackbirds and Mistle Thrushes7 Mahonia media other plants (2 very effective succumb7 Excellent early-flowering nectar defense) source for bees and bumblebees.

Bright-line Brown-eye, Cabbage and Peppered Moth caterpillar food plant7

New Zealand Shrub for Clusters of white, 1.5m Sun-loving Food8 Holly exposed sites, fragrant, daisy-like plant which is with silver- flowerheads8 hardy in warmer Flowers are attractive to bees and Olearia toothed leaves parts of the many species of fly8 macrodonta country. It (3 effective tolerates wind, and defense) do well in towns8

Plant and Defensive Flowers / berries Height1, type, Wildlife benefits defence grade Properties1 and how to plant (1st-3rd)1

Blackthorn, Sloe Excellent dense Snowy white blossom 1.8m Very tough Food and Shelter9 defensive shrub appears in very early and tolerant of Prunus spinosa or small tree. spring before the most soils and Flowering, blackthorn provides a (1 extremely leaves and is followed situations, valuable source of nectar and effective) in late autumn by the including wet, pollen for bees in spring. Its purplish-black fruits10 exposed sites10 foliage is a food plant for the caterpillars of many moths, including the Lackey, Magpie, Common Emerald, Small Eggar, Swallow-tailed and Yellow-tailed. Also used by Black and Brown Hairstreak butterflies.

Birds nest among the dense, thorny thickets, eat caterpillars and other insects from the leaves, and feast on the berries in autumn9 Plant and Defensive Flowers / berries Height1, type, Wildlife benefits defence grade Properties1 and how to plant (1st-3rd)1

Roses Dense and Flowers 2-9m dependent Food and flowers11 (2 very effective thorny on variety. Old- defense) vegetation fashioned varieties Hybrid tea roses, are also useful are fragrant and addition11 Dog Rose disease-resistant11 Rosa canina Fruits popular with birds.

Field rose Wide range of insects attracted to Rosa arvensis the flowers including bees and butterflies11 It is illegal to plant Rosa rugosa in the wild or allow it to 'escape'!11

Gorse Superb barrier Small yellow flowers12 1.5m Grows well Food and shelter12 shrub on poor dry soils1 Ulex europaeus Nest sites for birds, important for (1 extremely invertebrates12 effective) Refuge for birds in harsh weather. In flower for long periods - an important nectar source in early spring and early winter, when little else is in flower12