briers
Prickly wild bushes
Briers are thorny shrubs or plants, especially wild roses, brambles, or similar vegetation with prickly stems.
The word often appears in descriptions of overgrown or neglected land: The old path was choked with briers.
A brier patch is a dense tangle of such plants—difficult to navigate and useful as cover for small animals.
Also spelled briars.
Thorny wild shrub
- blackberryAggregate fruit from thorny canes
- raspberryAggregate bramble fruit
- rosebushThorny shrub bearing fragrant blooms
- hawthornThorny berry-bearing shrub
thorns · thicket · scrub · shrub · barberry · gooseberry · firethorn · gorse
Dense shrub cluster
- underbrushDense low forest vegetation
- hedgerowLinear shrub boundary
- backwoodsRemote, undeveloped rural area
- wildsRemote, uninhabited areas
overgrown · untamed · wild · rough terrain · rugged · uncultivated · fallow · wasteland
Twisted mass of strands
- snagUnforeseen complication
- impedimentThing that obstructs progress
- barrierObstruction preventing passage
- hindranceBarrier to progress
difficulty · snare · catch · entanglement · obstruction · snarl · hazard · scratch
Boundary of planted shrubs
- barrierObstruction preventing passage
- deterrentThing that discourages action
- perimeterShape's outer edge length
- boundaryLine marking a limit
enclosure · defensive barrier · living fence · security · fortification
bramble
Thorny wild shrub
- blackberryAggregate fruit from thorny canes
- raspberryAggregate bramble fruit
- rosebushThorny shrub bearing fragrant blooms
hawthorn · thorns · thicket · scrub · shrub · barberry · gooseberry · firethorn · gorse · hedgerow
thicket
Dense shrub cluster
- underbrushDense low forest vegetation
- hedgerowLinear shrub boundary
- backwoodsRemote, undeveloped rural area
wilds · overgrown · untamed · wild · rough terrain · rugged · uncultivated · fallow · wasteland · scrubland
tangle
Twisted mass of strands
- snagUnforeseen complication
- impedimentThing that obstructs progress
- barrierObstruction preventing passage
hindrance · difficulty · snare · catch · entanglement · obstruction · snarl · hazard · scratch · tear
hedge
Boundary of planted shrubs
- barrierObstruction preventing passage
- deterrentThing that discourages action
- perimeterShape's outer edge length
boundary · enclosure · defensive barrier · living fence · security · fortification
brierstopiary
Shaped shrub sculpture
formal gardens · boxwood · privet hedge · landscaped grounds