The other day at the train station, it dawned on me as a noticed the ominous spikes atop the LED light pole, that there is an effective solution that is both aesthetically and environmentally pleasing – Replace those unsightly pigeon spikes with resilient spiky plants that can grow in shallow soil!
The image of the left is the original version of course, and then the “After” version on the right includes the Eastern Prickly Pear Cactus, which can thrive in an all climates. The new and improved version also has to include a drainage system that won’t interfere with the existing utility.
Since green roofs have become popular, it would be accessible for any city or public building to adopt this. This relatively simple modification would contribute to carbon removal since they sequester and convert it to calcium carbonate! It would also be kind to the birds, plus enhance the urban wild.
It should also be noted that the Eastern Prickly Pear Cactus is medicinal and produces edible fruit. While not the only choice for spiky plant toppers, it’s certainly an excellent choice for different regions.
The “After” image was produced with Adobe Firefly in cahoots with Google Gemini 2.5 (w/ Nano Banana).