Acanthus mollis
Soft Acanthus
Common names: Bear's Breech, Common Bear's Breech
At a glance
- Light
- Partial shade
- Pot size
- from 30 l
- Lifespan
- Perennial
- Flowering
- Jun–Aug
- Hardiness
- Hardy down to −15 °C
- Water need
- Medium
Photo: Hectonichus · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Source
This description was machine-translated.
Description
Soft Acanthus, botanically Acanthus mollis, originates from the Mediterranean region and is a perennial with an almost architectural effect. Its large, deeply lobed, glossy dark green leaves form a powerful rosette. Already in antiquity they served as a model for decorations on columns. From June to August, upright flower spikes rise with white flowers and purple-violet bracts. The plant, including the flowers, grows 1 to 1.5 m tall and equally wide. In the garden it is an eye-catcher at a house wall, at the edge of open woody plants, at the back of a bed, or in a large container. The name Bear's Breech is misleading: it is not related to the native cow parsnip (Heracleum sphondylium). In our region it is only conditionally hardy. In wine-growing areas and mild urban locations it usually survives the winter well, while in harsher locations it needs good winter protection.
Care instructions
Plant Soft Acanthus in spring after the Ice Saints, mid-May, in a warm, wind-sheltered spot in sun or partial shade, for example in front of a south-facing wall. In deep shade it hardly flowers. The soil should be deep, loose, and humus-rich, as the thick roots reach far down. Water regularly in the first year, and afterwards only during long dry periods. It does not tolerate waterlogging, especially in winter. Allow about 1 m of space on all sides, and choose the site carefully, because every root piece left in the soil will sprout again, so relocating the plant is difficult. Cut back spent flower stems to the ground after flowering, and remove old foliage in spring as soon as the danger of frost has passed. Slugs like to feed on young leaves in spring, so collect them in the evening. Mulch thickly with leaves in November.
The care notes were machine-translated from German.
Garden year
FloweringJun–Aug
Soil & site
Soil pH
Soil type
well-drained, humus-rich, loamy, nutrient-rich
Bear's breeches needs deep, loose, humus-rich soil, because its thick roots reach far down. Loamy, nutrient-rich garden soil is ideal. Whether it is neutral or calcareous hardly matters. In winter, water must be able to drain away well; waterlogging quickly leads to rot in the cold season. On heavy soils, loosen the subsoil deeply and work in sand and compost.
Feeding
Medium feeder
Months
Apr, Jun
The large bear's breeches welcomes regular but moderate nutrients. In spring, spread a layer of mature compost around the plant, and in early summer you can help along with diluted nettle feed. Too much nitrogen makes the foliage lush but the flowering sparse. In a container, give liquid fertiliser for flowering plants every two to three weeks during growth and stop feeding in late summer so that the shoots ripen before winter.
Overwintering
Bear's breeches is only moderately hardy and tolerates about minus 15 degrees if it stands dry and sheltered. In November, cover the centre of the plant 15 to 20 cm deep with leaves, brushwood or bark mulch, and in addition with fleece in frost without snow cover. The leaves often die back in the frost; the plant sprouts anew from the roots in spring, after hard winters not until May. Remove the protection gradually in April. In a container the root ball freezes through much faster: in November, place it bright and frost-free at 5 to 10 °C and water only a little.
Propagation
Methods
- Division
- Cuttings
- From seed
You propagate bear's breeches most reliably by root cuttings. From December to February, dig up a few strong, pencil-thick roots at the edge of the plant and cut them into pieces 5 to 8 cm long. Lay these horizontally in a pot of sandy compost, cover them thinly and place the pot somewhere bright and frost-free. The first leaves appear in spring, and from May you can pot the young plants on individually. Division in spring or in September also works, but with older plants and their deep roots it is heavy labour. Propagation from seed works as well, but it often takes three years to the first flowering.
For your garden
Grow Soft Acanthus yourself
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