Grazing response- A "thorny" issue

[Tony Croft aka hamadryad]

Sorry to be too simplistic - you are obviously right. I was suggesting that the loss of apical dominance, through pruning, browsing or other natural occurrences changes the natural harmony and equilibrium as prescribed by axiom and many other lesser known and poorly researched growth hormones. This imbalance, in plants that react strongly such as the Hawthorn, will result in rapid growth of all parts including thorns. Indeed their must be another 'trigger' to grow a thorn and one that can be isolated and removed as per thornless cultivars that still display strong apical dominance characteristics.

 

Thorns have and are part of the trees vascular system. I wonder if, because of this, various toxins and waste products are stored/dumped into the thorns to give them extra bite and greater chance of causing infection? What a wonderful evolutionary twist that would be!

 

Finally, we all see birds fly in and out of hedges at silly speeds - why do we never find dead impaled birds on thorns?

 

good point, pun! though a small bird landing in an identical place each time would soon learn where and how to have a safe "re entry"!