sticker bush
Any thorny plant that will snag your britches.
Also called stickerbush, briar, thorn bush.
Updated September 24, 2026
sticker bush pronunciation
/STIK-er bush/
Meaning
Catch-all country name for briars, blackberry canes, greenbrier, wild rose, or whatever prickly brush is waiting beside the fence row. Nobody is naming the species. They are warning you it will scratch. A whole tangle of them is more often a briar patch. Kids and hunters both know the word the hard way.
How folks use it
- “Watch that sticker bush by the gate — it tore my jeans last week.”
- “We picked blackberries till every arm looked like it lost a fight with a sticker bush.”
Origin and etymology
Plain compound of sticker (something that pricks) and bush. Rural Southern, Appalachian, and other country talk use it as a general label for thorny brush rather than a plant book name. Related thicket talk includes briar patch.
Frequently asked questions
What plant is a sticker bush?
Whatever has thorns. Blackberry, greenbrier, rose, or plain briar all get the name.