The multi-trunked Spanish dagger is evergreen, with thick, stiff and very sharp leaves. It’s adaptable, architectural, and nearly indestructible, with cream-colored flower clusters in spring. Spanish dagger makes an excellent choice where a barrier or a deer-proof shrub is needed. Give it plenty of room to prevent collision with passersby. At commercial sites, the thorns are often clipped from the leaf tips to avoid the risk injury. The skirts of dead leaves provide nesting sites for wrens, thrashers and other bird species. As with all succulents, beware of over-watering and always provide good drainage. Although it’s a popular landscape specimen worldwide, in South Texas it’s an especially good ornamental for an unirrigated area.