Acanthus mollis, also known as Bears Breeches and Oyster Plant, is a climp-forming perennial. It’s native habitat is the Mediterranean basin, including south wet europe and north west Africa. The genus Acanthus, consists of 25 species of perennials that grow in dry rocky areas. They are vigerous plants that have an architectural look to both flowers and leaves. Acanthus comes from the Greek ‘acanth’ which is used in compound words to mean a plant with spines, thorns or is spiky, while mollis is a Latin word for soft or soft with hairs, referring to the texture of the leaves. The identifing features of the plant are as follows:

• Leaves-dark green, ovate to oblong-lance shaped leaves that have deep lobes, up to 90cm in length, basal, and can be spiny and toothed
• Flowers-tubular with two lips, between 3.5-5 cm long with spiny bracts, white and purple, appear between November and January, appearin in up to four ranks of terminal racemes to 1.2 metres tall.
• Soil-will grow in any soil, but thrives in deep, fertile and well-drained soils
• Aspect-will grow in full shade to full sun, but flowers better in full sun
• Care-mulch once planted and water regularly for 12 weeks until established, fertilise with a slow release fertiliser yearly to ensure lush growth and remove spent flowers before the seeds have chance to develop
• Uses-understorey planting, containers, mixed borders, spring flowers (in Australia)
• Problems-the leaves are attractive to slugs, snails and leaf eating insects, explosive pods will scatter seed over a wide area around the parent plant and a new plant can grow from the smallest section of root, therefore it has weedy potential
• Propagation-grow from seed or root cuttings, or by dividing an established clump

This is a plant that I really do like, due to its structural form. The problem with it is that it needs to be managed correctly, due to it’s weedy potential. If you want to remove the plant, get as much of it out of the ground as possible and keep an eye out for any new plants popping up in the area. Also, ensure that as soon as the flowers start to fade, remove the flower stalks to prevent seed development and spread.

All photos are my own.