The Pride of the Garden: Acanthus spinosus - Reiman's Picks - Reiman Gardens |
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The Pride of the Garden: Acanthus spinosus
Reiman’s Pick
For the Week of July 12, 2010
Samantha Blakley, Education Intern
Reiman Gardens, Iowa State University
Over the years, Acanthus, commonly known as bear’s breeches, has been used to compliment Greek artwork and Corinthian columns in the landscape. This simple plant incorporates texture with bold colors to add something special to your garden area. This is one of the earliest cultivated garden plants in the Mediterranean region where it is native. This plant is very adaptable in the landscape and can be grown now in many regions of the world.
Acanthus spinosus, spiny bear’s breeches prefers well drained soils and can be grown in full sun to partial shade. It is two to three feet tall with a similar width and grows in a spreading habit. When planting, it is important to allow plenty of space between plants for this reason. This plant is a tender perennial and is hardy to Zone 6, so benefits from winter mulching for protection in our climate. The leaves are a dark green to purple color and the spiked blooms are white or purple. Acanthus spinosus blooms from June through August.
This plant has many different uses in the landscape. It was originally used to compliment large structures such as columns. Today it works well in mixed perennial borders in the middle or towards the back because of its large size. The bold texture of the leaves adds contrast when used with finer textured plants such as ferns or grasses.
Spiny bear’s breeches is currently on display and growing in the Events Plaza at Reiman Gardens. Its unique texture and color combination is adding a lot to the area!
Sources:
Jul 23, 2010 1:53 PM
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