Shrubs With Reddish Leaves & Thorns

Landscaping can dramatically improve the visual appeal and safety of your home or business. Shrubs with red leaves and thorns tend to be some of the most useful landscape additions because of their vivid color and spiky nature, which helps them to double duty as a crime deterrent when planted under windows. To increase the curb appeal of your home, select shrubs with red leaves the entire growing season or that put on a crimson display in fall to maintain eye-appeal throughout several seasons.

The prairie rose (Rosa arkansana) is a deciduous bush that is most often found in the flatlands in the United States and Canada. According to The Morton Arboretum in Illinois, this shrub feature red leaves and thorns and grows in U.S. Department of Agricultural (USDA) plant hardiness zones 4 to 8. The shrub grows 5 to 8 feet in height with a similar spread. During the summer, the prairie rose blooms with sweet-smelling pink flowers. Eventually, these flowers fade to light pink and white. This shrub thrives in damp soils and requires partial shade. During the spring and summer months, the leaves on the prairie rose are green, but during autumn, the leaves turn deep red.

The shrub rose (Rosa glauca) is a medium-sized thorny shrub that belongs to the rose family. The 6- to 8-foot shrub blooms with small pink flowers, but according to the Missouri Botanical Garden's Kemper Center for Home Gardening, most gardeners consider its reddish-purple foliage and canes to be its best feature. The shrub rose is winter hardy and thrives in USDA zones 2 to 8. The shrub rose is susceptible to many problems common to roses, like powdery mildew and black spot, and while planting in partial shade gives the best foliage color, the Missouri Botanical Garden recommends full sun to prevent disease.

Red barberry (Berberis thunbergii var. atropurpurea) is a deciduous shrub that is hardy and colorful. This shrub with red leaves and thorns grows well in USDA hardiness zones 4 to 8. In addition, the Japanese barberry can grow to a maximum height between 3 and 6 feet. During spring, tiny visible groupings of yellow blooms can be found; summertime produces red berries on the shrub. The small leaves on red barberry turn purplish in autumn and sharp thorns become visible. The red barberry shrub tolerates a range of soils and full sun to partial shade. According to North Carolina State University, this drought-tolerant shrub "dislikes wet feet," so make sure it is planted in a well-drained location. These make an effective thorny hedge as well.

Angelica trees (Aralia elata) are often classified as trees, as it can grow 12 to 18 feet tall, but they are also considered to be large deciduous shrubs. According to the USDA Northeastern Area State and Private Forestry Department, this thorny shrub can withstand temperatures in the USDA zones ranging from 4 to 9. The stems on the angelica tree are thorny with green leaves that turn red in the fall. During the spring, this large shrub blooms with white flowers. During late summer and autumn, black fruit can be seen on the tree. This large thorny shrub does best in moist partially sunny areas. Some precaution is necessary when planting or pruning the angelica tree because allergic reactions can occur. To avoid the thorny nature of the angelica tree, it can be planted in secluded backyard areas.