Acanthus

Excellent large, bold, specimen plants for sun to partial shade. They do not like soils that are excessively wet in winter thus growing best on deep, well drained, humus-rich, PH neutral loams. Acanthus are considered both deer and rabbit resistant.
Propagation is from seed, division during spring or fall and root cuttings. Seedlings may take up to 3 years to bloom.

Acanthus balcanicus ( Hungarian Bears Breeches )
Also called Acanthus hungaricus. A large, clumping perennial, reaching up to 3.3 x 6 feet, that is native to the Balkans in Europe ( Romania, the former Yugoslavia & Greece ).
The deeply-cut, thistle-like, wavy-edged leaves are up to 3.3 feet x 8 inches in size. The foliage is glossy deep green.
The white to pinkish-white ( reddish-purple bracted ) flowers are borne on spikes held well above the foliage at up to 5 feet in height during mid to late summer.
Hardy north to zone 5 ( tolerating as low as -25 F with pine mulch ) and is also very heat tolerant. Can be invasive on some sites.

* photo taken on June 30 2013 @ U.S. National Arboretum, DC

Acanthus mollis
A vigorous, massive, clumping perennial, reaching up to 4 x 8 feet, that is native to southern Europe from Portugal to Yugoslavia and south. It is usually evergreen in milder climates ( zone 8 and south ).
The large, deeply-lobed leaves can reach up to 36 x 18 inches in size. The foliage is very glossy, deep green.
The white to mauve-pink ( with pinkish-purple bracts ) flowers, up to 1 inch long, are borne on 36 inch purple stemmed inflorescences that reach up to 7 feet in height. The blooms appear during early summer and persist up to 2 months.
Hardy zones 6 to 10 ( should be mulched in winter in zone 6 ). Drought tolerant but prefers partial shade where summers are hot. Being native to the Mediterranean region of Europe, it does not really like hot humid summers.

* photos taken on July 17 2010 @ Morris Arboretum, Philly, PA


* photo taken on May 15 2011 in Washington, D.C.

* photo taken on July 31 2011 in Hyde Park, NY

* excellent video found on Youtube

* photo taken on June 30 2013 @ U.S. National Arboretum, DC

* photo taken on July 11 2014 in Washington, DC

* photos taken @ Smithsonian Inst, Wash., DC on Aug 25 2014

* photo taken on Oct 21 2014 @ Smithsonian Inst., Washington, DC

* photo taken on May 27 2017 @ Meadowlark Botanical Gardens, Vienna, VA

* photos taken on May 4 2019 in Columbia, MD

* photo taken on May 11 2020 in Columbia, MD

* photo taken on June 24 2021 in Columbia, MD

* historical archive photo

* excellent photo link found on internet
http://plants.nature4stock.com/?page_id=247

'Hollard's Lemon'
Greenish yellow foliage.

'Niger'
Very dark, glossy green leaves up to 4 feet in length.

'Latifolius'
An excellent focal plant forming a clump up to 8 feet across. The deeply lobed ( but less so than regular A. mollis ), glossy dark green, arching leaves are larger, up to 48 x 12 inches in size.
The pink summer flowers are borne in Digitalis like infolorescences up to 8 feet in height.

* historic archive photo

'Oakleaf'
Glossy dark green foliage that is shaped like Quercus rubra - Red Oak.

* photos taken on June 1 2014 @ Maryland Horticulturalist Society garden tour, Ellicott City

'Tasmanian Angel'
Very large glossy dark green foliage with white mottling and margins.
The June through August flower spikes are up to 4 feet in height and are white and purple.
Prefers partial to full shade.

Acanthus spinosus ( Spiny Bears Breeches )
A dense, clumping perennial, reaching up to 3 x 5 feet, that is native from Italy to Yugoslavia and Greece as well as southwest Turkey.
The rigid, deeply-cut, spine-tipped leaves are up to 36 x 12 inches in size. The leathery foliage is glossy, deep green.
The mauve-pink ( purple bracted ) flowers, are borne on inflorescences up to 5 ( records of 7.5 ) feet in height.
Hardy north to zone 5 and can spread invasively on some sites. It prefers morning sun to partial shade where summers are hot.

* photos taken on May 16 2010 @ Cylburn Arboretum, Baltimore, MD





* photo taken on annual Horticultural Society of Maryland Garden Tour


* photo taken on July 17 2010 @ Morris Arboretum, Philly, PA

* photo taken on May 16 2011 in Washington, D.C.

* photos taken on Aug 1 2013 @ Stratford, Ontario

* photo taken on June 1 2014 @ Maryland Horticulturalist Society garden tour, Ellicott City

* photo taken on May 27 2017 @ Meadowlark Botanical Gardens, Vienna, VA

'Lady Moore'
Foliage is creamy white greening up as spring progresses.

'Spinosissimus'
narrow foliage with deeply incised margins that is bristled heavily.

'Summer Beauty'
Spectacular and massive growing! Reaches up to 6 x 8 feet while blooming. The purple, spiny bracted flowers are white.
It thrives in the southeastern U.S., where Acanthus mollis would collapse in the summer heat.

Acanthus 'Whitewater'
Similar to Acanthus mollis 'Tasmanian Angel' but is much more vigorous, forming a foliage clump up to 1.7 x 1.8 feet in 1.5 years, eventually to 3 x 6.5 feet.
The foliage is often all white upon emerging, soon turning to deep green and boldly bordered and splashed white. This can be a most stunning foliage focal plant.
The pale pink flowers are borne on tall stalks up to 6.5 feet in height.
Hardy zones 7 to 10 in partial shade. It is moderately heat tolerant due to having Acanthus spinosus 'Summer Beauty' parentage.

* photo taken on Apr 20 2024 in Burtonsville, MD

* photos taken on Oct 9 2024 in Columbia, MD

* patent photo