Living Ocotillo Fence

We made panels of the ocotillos like 30 in each panel.

Living ocotillo fence.

You may plant ocotillo branch fences at any time of the year. To fence our garden it took over 2 500 ocotillo stalks. 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.

It took them a few months to root but that was it. 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. Ocotillo is also called devil s walking stick and candlewood and grows well in full sun and sandy soil.

We stretched a top wire for the fence and attached the panels to that making sure their bases were in the trench. Because they re hand made there s some variation in the exact length of each panel. It is a material that is exciting in that it is unique to the region where it is used and it really gives a sense of the place. Ocotillo fences make very good coyote and privacy fences.

Ocotillo living fencing is a unique design element here in the desert southwest where its rustic appearance accentuates our landscape space and style. The plants are hardy in u s. By that i mean you don t find a cactus and cut all its branches leaving it to die. Ocotillo handmade fence panels are truly unique to the southwest.

Dig a trench along the fence line that is at least 6 inches deep. Civano nursery is one of the last few places in tucson that you will be lucky enough to find this product. Due to their light weight and interesting pattern ocotillo branches have been used for. The traditional art of hand tying the canes together with wire is slowly disappearing.

Install 6 foot t posts 2. Ocotillo cactus is very easy to grow in indigenous areas. 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. In the desert southwest the ocotillo cactus fouquieria splendens is harvested to create living fences and other garden features.

Ocotillo use in fencing. 6 x 5 and are available throughout. By walks on rocks.