The flowers are
purplish, sometimes white and are borne in
spikes on 2-4 feet flower stalks. Individual
flowers are 1 inch across and subtended by
leaf-like, shiny green, often fringed bracts
tipped with spines. The corolla is composed of a
short tube with an expanded 3 lobed lower lip
and no upper lip. Calyx is 4 lobed with 2 lobes
smaller than the others.
Midsummer
The shiny dark
green deeply lobed leaves rise directly from the
ground and may be 2 feet long and 1 foot wide
and are tipped with stout thorns.
Slugs and
snails
Acanthus
is best grown in partial shade and a
well-drained soil. If the summers are cool, it
will tolerate more sun.
Drainage is critical with this species.
Of the two species
of Acanthus that are commonly used in
landscape gardens, A. mollis is prized
for its foliage while A. spinosus is
generally noted for its unusual flowers. Also,
this species is less hardy than A. spinosus
and is grown more in the South.
