Acanthus mollis/Acanthus

Foliage
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Foliage	Foliage and floral spikes	Dense foliage and young floral spikes
Acanthus in a ruins garden	Mature plants in center of image	New foliage
Young plants with emerging floral spike	Bold texture of established plant	Flowering spike with open flowers
Lush, coarse-textured foliage	Naturalized plantings in Italy are common	Plants grow in small pockets of soil
Close view of the lush foliage


Scientific Name:	Acanthus mollis
Common Name:	Acanthus
Plant Type:	Evergreen
Leaf Type:	Broadleaf
Hardiness Zone:	8, 9, 10, 11, 12 Determine Your Zone
Height:	2- 5 feet
Spread:	2 -3 feet
Bloom time:	Spring
Flower color:	Purple
Light Exposure:	Sun, Part Sun
Drainage:	Well drained, Moist, Dry
Rate of Growth:	Slow
Water Requirement:	Low
Maintenance Level:	Low
Susceptible to insects and diseases:	No

Comments:	A very bold textured plant with large, dark green leaves. This is a very old plant that has been in cultivation for centuries. It is native to the Mediterranean coastline in Italy and France and was used in ancient times as a decorative motif on Corinthian columns as one of the famous architectural orders.