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Plant Details
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Acanthus spinosus
Acanthaceae
Award of garden merit
Ultimate Height: 1.5m
Ultimate Spread: 1m
Time to ultimate height: 2-5 year(s)
Partial/dappled shade Full Sun
Well-drained
H4 (hardy)
Preferred common name: spiny bear's breech
Other common names: armed bear's breech

Acanthus are robust herbaceous perennials with handsome, lobed foliage and tall, erect racemes of two-lipped flowers with colourful bracts.

A. spinosus is a handsome herbaceous perennial to 1.2m, with large, deeply lobed and spine-tipped, dark glossy green leaves. Erect spikes of white flowers with spiny purplish bracts in late spring and summer.

Cultivation
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Pruning
Cut down old flower stems.
Acanthus spinosus © The Royal Horticultural Society 1990 RHS Herbarium
Pests
Generally pest free.

Diseases
Powdery mildews may be a problem.

Soil
Acid, Alkaline or Neutral.
Well-drained.
Chalk, Loam or Sand.

Aspect
All aspects.
Exposed or Sheltered.

Propagation
Propagate by division or by root cuttings .

Flowers: Purple and White in Spring and Summer.
Foliage: Dark Green in Spring and Summer.
Fruits: Green in Autumn.
Evergreen/Deciduous: Deciduous.
Suggested Plant Uses:   Architectural, Cottage/Informal Garden, Drought Resistant, Flower Arranging, Flowers Borders and Beds, Low Maintenance or Mediterranean.

Links
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