Acanthus mollisBear's Breeches

The Acanthus mollis, known in gardens as Bear's Breeches, is a clump-forming Mediterranean perennial grown as much for its foliage as for its flowers. The deeply lobed, glossy dark green leaves reach 0.6 metres or more and hold their shape through the season, forming a bold, architectural ground layer beneath trees and along shaded walls.

In early summer the clump throws up tall spires of hooded white flowers set against purple bracts, lifting the planting well above the foliage line. It is a long-lived plant that asks little once its roots are down.

Specifications

• Height0.6 to 1 metre in leaf, with flower spikes to 1.5 metres
• Width0.6 to 1 metre
• Native toThe Mediterranean basin, from southern Europe to north west Africa
• FoliageLarge, deeply lobed, glossy dark green leaves; semi-evergreen and cut back by hard frost
• Growth rateModerate

Conditions

• SoilPrefers deep, well-drained soils; tolerates poor and stony ground once established
• LightFull sun to partial shade
• WaterLow; drought-tolerant once established, though foliage is fuller with summer moisture
• ClimateThrives in Mediterranean and warm temperate regions; foliage dies back in cold winters

Additional Features

• FlowersTall spires of hooded white flowers backed by purple bracts, in late spring and early summer
• FormBroad, arching basal clump with strongly sculptural leaves
• UsesMass planting under tree canopies, shaded borders, courtyard beds and formal ground layers
• SpacingPlant 0.6 to 0.8 metres apart for a closed ground layer
• Low MaintenanceCut spent flower stems and tired foliage to the base once a year
• Pest ResistanceGenerally trouble free; watch for snails on soft new growth
• Drought ToleranceDeep fleshy roots carry the plant through extended dry periods

Bear's Breeches gives a shaded ground layer weight and structure that few perennials can match.