Thorny Soil

"And some seed fell among thorns; and the thorns grew up and choked it, and it yielded no crop." - Mark 4:7

"Now these are the ones sown among thorns; they are the ones who hear the word, and the cares of this world, the deceitfulness of riches, and the desires for other things entering in choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful." - Jesus' explanation in Mark 4:18–19 (NKJV)

Thorny soil is where there are other thorns and plants growing that stunt the plant so that it grows but does not reach fruit-bearing maturity. Here are barley plants stunted by thorns and other plants. (Picture from spring in Jerusalem)

Here you can compare the barley plant to the right of the key to see how the barley plant has been stunted by its competition. (Picture from spring in Jerusalem)

Here you can see productive barley plants on the left and stunted barley plants on the right compared to the size of a key. (Picture from spring in Jerusalem)

Here is a full length view of fruitful barley on the left and stunted barley on the right against the size of a key for scale. (Picture from spring in Jerusalem)