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Acanthaceae
Bear's Breeches
Acanthus mollis
The arts, eternity, immortal beauty.
- Family
- Acanthaceae
- Genus
- Acanthus
- Native to
- Mediterranean
- Bloom season
- Summer
- Type
- Perennial
- Height
- 120–180 cm (4–6 ft)
- Sunlight
- Full sun to part shade
- Soil
- Rich, well-drained
- Water
- Moderate
- Hardiness
- 7–10
- Lifespan
- Long-lived perennial
Did you know
- Acanthus leaves are the model for the carved ornament that crowns Corinthian columns—the most famous architectural decoration in Western history, used continuously since 5th-century BCE Greece.
- Roman architect Vitruvius wrote that the Corinthian capital was inspired by sculptor Callimachus, who saw a basket of toys overgrown by acanthus on a young girl's grave near Corinth.
- The towering flower spikes can reach 6 feet, with hooded white-and-purple blooms protected by spiny bracts—a single plant in bloom looks like a Gothic cathedral.
- Despite being a Mediterranean native, acanthus is hardy enough to thrive in cool English gardens and was a favorite of Vita Sackville-West at Sissinghurst.
- Once established, acanthus is famously immortal—it sends roots 6 feet deep, survives drought and frost, and is nearly impossible to dig out, lending it the symbol of eternity.
Color meanings
0
the arts
1
eternity
2
immortal beauty