Topic: Bears Breeches

[rosebud]

This is the first time ever it has not flowered, does anyone know why.

Usual treatment fed & watered same as any other year.  Could it be sulking because i took two young plants from it very early spring??.

[saddad]

I certainly wouldn't have divided it in spring... give it another year to get its act together... my problem is keeping the leaves... they have wilted a lot in the dry...
 ???

[rosebud]

I have had some beautiful foliage, that has not been affected at all. I just cannot make it out and if we move soon i shall take it with me so more trauma i expect anyway we shall have to wait and see.

[ACE]

It loves a shady corner, but it is bombproof, I cut bits off all the time with a spade to give to friends and they have not had trouble. I did rotovate an acanthus bed once and it spread everywhere.

[rosebud]

Ace, it is in a shady place and has always been happy and flowered have you any idea what could have stopped it flowering maybe it could have been the dry weather but i am not sure about that one.

[Carol]

I have never heard of Bears Breeches, what is it?

Excuse my ignorance.    :o :o :o

[grawrc]

http://plants.thompson-morgan.com/uk/en/product/7001/1
Acanthus mollis. Produces lovely greenery and flowers round about now. Dies down in winter.

[ACE]

Blimey! £9.49 for 3 bits of root. It grows like weeds around here. If you want some, find someone with a plant and slip a spade down the side and cut of a side root 4 inches will give you a plant , bung it in a big pot with any soil. It should start to shoot in about 2 weeks.

[Carol]

Thanks Anne.  I have never seen that growing I don't think.  Grows to 5ft as well??  It would look nice in the back of my big borders.  We live and learn  dont we?    :D :D :D

[grawrc]

Didn't look at prices just for a site that gave a description. I certainly wouldn't pay that for it. Mine needs to be hacked back every couple of years.

I have it at the back of the border against the fence.

[ACE]

I certainly wouldn't pay that for it.

I did not think for one minute that you did. It is strange that they recommend sunny/part shade. I have alway found it does best in shade as the hot sun always seems to wilt the foliage. The flowers might need the sun, as they do reach for the stars. Also I have never lost the foliage in the winter apart from a few old leaves. But there are quite a few varieties on the market now. I saw a new very small one at GWL which would have looked good in with my sea hollies but was told they did not know how hardy it was. It was small and spikey with a silver variagation.
Acanthus leaves feature a lot in roman carvings so it must come from a warmer climate.

[GREENWIZARD]

it's all my fault r :( :'(

[Mrs Ava]

Mine has never died back in winter either.  Mine flowered earlier in the summer, but has stopped now.  My mums flowers almost 12 months of the year, and it has become a pest in her garden as where I originally planted it years and years ago, then moved it, then moved it again, has left her with lots of patches of it!  Now my sister, grandad and i have it in our gardens, all from chunks from hers.  I love the foliage - have a thing about spiky leaves!  ;D

[grawrc]

I'm in Scotland - I suspect that accounts for dying back in winter? Not really a problem except for the first year when I thought it had died!