Actors often get typecast into certain roles – and the same sometimes happens to plants. Take for example Acanthus mollis. Its leaves have been the model for decorative detail on everything from Corinthian columns to currency, yet it’s generally not thought of as a garden plant.
Bear’s breech blooms in early summer. (The flower scapes can reach up to 5 feet tall!)
Photo Credit: Dr. Gerald Klingaman
The plant’s leaves have been inspiration for architectural design since the Greeks first began using them in the 5th century BC.
Photo Credit: Dr. Gerald Klingaman
Called bear’s breech since ancient times, this plant is the headliner of its very own family, the Acanthaceae. It’s an evergreen herbaceous perennial native to southern Europe, where it’s adorned all kinds of buildings for centuries. Individual plants grow from 3-5 feet tall when in bloom, and its leaves splay out from a low rosette to an equal distance. These basal leaves may be up to 2 feet long and a foot wide, and all of the smooth, rich-green foliage is deeply divided and sharply incised with lobes that end in a stout spine.
While the prickle-tipped leaves give bear’s breech a kind of thistle-like look, its upright, four-sided bloom spike definitely places it in the acanthus family. Bear’s breech flowers appear in late spring or early summer on erect spikes. These three-lobed, white to lavender blooms measure an inch across, but they’re covered on the top side by a spine-tipped, recurved bract in shades of lavender or a greenish hue. Though the flowers are handsome and good subjects for drying, most gardeners grow acanthus for its bold, coarse foliage.
Unfortunately, acanthus gets a mixed reception among gardeners – but not without good reason: In areas with a Mediterranean climate (like California), it’s often considered an aggressive weed festooned with thorns. But in regions with a proper winter, the perennial is less rambunctious and less prone to crowd out neighboring plants.
Members of the acanthus family tend to be moisture lovers that wilt quickly and dramatically when they get dry. In most areas, except for those blessed with cool daytime temperatures, bear’s breech is best situated in partial shade at the back of the border. Or, if you’ve got room, plant it in the shade garden along paths or streams where it can spread without concern of interfering with its neighbors. (In loose soils, acanthus spreads quickly by underground roots that form large colonies.)
There are several methods of growing bear’s breech: springtime divisions, 3-inch-long root cuttings or seeds. Whichever way you choose, be sure to plant the perennial in well-drained but moist, reasonably fertile soil if you want it to spread. It’s slow to establish in the garden, and you typically have to wait until its second year before you know if the plant made it or not. It’s winter-hardy as far north as USDA hardiness Zone 5 – with a wintertime protection of mulch. Many gardeners lose it over winter (so assume it lacks winter hardiness), but the loss is more likely due to poor wintertime drainage than the cold.
So if you want unique, bold texture in your shade garden (and something other than the typical hosta), give acanthus a try. In one simple plant you get one beautiful skyscraper of a perennial – as well as a host of Mediterranean history.
