3

Am starting a goat and sheep farm in the drier parts on the Iberian Peninsula and would like to have a hedge dividing different parts of the land plot. In my search I came across the plant Portugal Laurel (Prunus lusitanica ‘Angustifolia’) which makes a nice, dense, evergreen and easy-maintenance hedge. However, this plant is toxic to goats as the plant produces hydrocyanic acid. Knowing goats, they will likely eat it.

My question is: what goat- and sheep-friendly hedge plants can I choose that:

  1. are evergreen,
  2. make a dense hedge,
  3. tolerate drier soils,
  4. are easy to prune, and
  5. are common on the peninsula?
Rohit Gupta
  • 1,753
  • 2
  • 5
  • 22
Dedos Verdes
  • 31
  • 4
  • Aren't the goats and sheep just going to eat whatever hedge you plant? I mean ho is it going to grow? – Rohit Gupta Jul 11 '23 at 19:56
  • 1
    There will be movable fenced enclosures. After a couple of years the goats would have an all-you-can-eat hedge, hopefully it will grow faster than they can browse on it. Sheep only graze, not browse. – Dedos Verdes Jul 12 '23 at 08:24

1 Answers1

2

Goats avoid strong-flavored plants such as sage and lavender. Sheep and deer will, too.

You know how well these herbs grow in Provence and throughout the Mediterranean.

  • Rosemary, aromatic and Mediterranean, would seem to fit this category.
  • Moroccan Nana is a menthol spearmint and grows throughout North Africa to Middle East.
  • Hydrangea - Alkaline soil will give you pink flowers, not blue, unless you copper-acidify the soil. I wouldn't.
  • Oregon Grape Holly (a 6' Barberry shrub):

pic of Oregon Grape Holly

Of course, grazing animals don't like the onion family (alliums) - daffodils included.

Yosef Baskin
  • 657
  • 7