Living Ocotillo Fence

Dig a trench along the fence line that is at least 6 inches deep.

Living ocotillo fence.

Because they re hand made there s some variation in the exact length of each panel. In the desert southwest the ocotillo cactus fouquieria splendens is harvested to create living fences and other garden features. The plants are hardy in u s. It took them a few months to root but that was it.

Ocotillo use in fencing. There are many creative ways that people have installed and used ocotillo fencing but installation can be as easy as the following directions. Install 6 foot t posts 2. Apr 16 2012 great source of ocotillo canes to make your own living fence explore travel travel destinations north america travel palm springs.

Civano nursery is one of the last few places in tucson that you will be lucky enough to find this product. You may plant ocotillo branch fences at any time of the year. Ocotillo is also called devil s walking stick and candlewood and grows well in full sun and sandy soil. By that i mean you don t find a cactus and cut all its branches leaving it to die.

We stretched a top wire for the fence and attached the panels to that making sure their bases were in the trench. We made panels of the ocotillos like 30 in each panel. By walks on rocks. They can be set against an existing fence or stand on their own with a post every 5 to 10 feet for support depending on your install.

Ocotillo fences make very good coyote and privacy fences. Ocotillo cactus is very easy to grow in indigenous areas. 6 x 5 and are available throughout. Due to their light weight and interesting pattern ocotillo branches have been used for.

To fence our garden it took over 2 500 ocotillo stalks. Ocotillo living fencing is a unique design element here in the desert southwest where its rustic appearance accentuates our landscape space and style. If you snip a branch off and stick it in the desert dirt it s very likely take root and grow. Each panel is approximately 6 feet tall by 4 5 to 5 feet wide.

To make living fence you only need dig a shallow trench and then hunt up the cactus respectfully. Individual ocotillo stems are sometimes used as poles as a fencing material in their native region and often take root to form a living fence. Fences are made by cutting ocotillo branches intertwined with wire to keep them together.