Bear's Breeches

Growing as a volunteer from my neighbor. Located under a high-pruned southern magnolia! Flanked by plum yews. Have two acanthus mollis...Read More also under the magnolia. I did plant those, but the hungaricus had the wisdom to locate itself perfectly in the layout!

Seattle, WA
zone 8

The bear's breeches I have is acanthus mollis and it's done wonderfully well in a less than idea...Read Morel spot for years now. It's planted in an alley bed which gets a couple hours of sun in the morning, and often gets really dry in the summer months. BUT- the acanthus blooms every year, and has doubled in size each year since I've planted it. This is a gorgeous architectural plant; if you'd like a little drama in a difficult spot in your garden it's a great candidate. Can't wait till fall so I can do some dividing.
I wonder if there are some varieties of acanthus that are less invasive, like the golden leaved type? It would be worth checking out for those who live in areas where this is a problem. Does anyone have info on this?

Does great here with some shade!

In June '04, saw this plant in a test bed at Spring Hill Nursery, Tipp City, OH. Found it again in same spot on 6/24/05. Two Spring Hill ...Read Morestaff didn't know what it was; a more knowledgeable staffer was to call me back. But found on Dave's Garden using PlantFiles advanced search. Very unusual looking plant. They really need to add mention of its spikes--hidden under the individual hooded flowers--to the Danger search category. Tried plucking a bloom to take back to the staff, and almost got speared. The foiliage is lush and shiny. Looks like a fancy thistle, so can see how it might become invasive. Gonna try to obtain one for my garden bed and see what happens.