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Acanthus 'Summer Beauty' is often confused with:
Acanthus spinosus Acanthus spinosus
Plants that fill a similar niche:
Acanthus mollis Form in bloom
Eryngium planum Eryngium
Paeonia lactiflora Paeonia lactiflora

Bear's Breeches 'Summer Beauty' Acanthus 'Summer Beauty'

Phonetic Spelling
ah-KAN-thus
Description

Bear's Breaches 'Summer Beauty' is a clumping perennial cultivar that is a cross between Acanthus mollis x Acanthus spinosus.  The large dark green leaves add a tropical look while the spikes of white and purple flowers add a bold vertical statement.  It is more tolerant of heat and humidity than its parents.  Resistant to browsing from rabbits and deer. The plant spreads by creeping roots.

Plant in full sun to partial shade in well-drained soil.  It can tolerate a wide variety of soil types except for wet ones. Use their bold shape as a specimen plant or in small groups in borders or formal gardens. Be sure to plant them where you want them as they can be hard to eradicate once established. Each little piece of root can make a plant.

See this plant in the following landscape:
Juniper Level Botanic Gardens: Part Sun-Part Shade Gardens
Cultivars / Varieties:
Tags:
#showy flowers#specimen#rabbit resistant#deer resistant#cream flowers#glossy leaves#large flowers#attractive leaves#formal garden#border planting#English garden#flowers late spring#flowers midsummer#vertical spaces#flowers early summer#small group plantings#tropical feel
 
Cultivars / Varieties:
Tags:
#showy flowers#specimen#rabbit resistant#deer resistant#cream flowers#glossy leaves#large flowers#attractive leaves#formal garden#border planting#English garden#flowers late spring#flowers midsummer#vertical spaces#flowers early summer#small group plantings#tropical feel
  • Attributes:
    Genus:
    Acanthus
    Family:
    Acanthaceae
    Life Cycle:
    Perennial
    Recommended Propagation Strategy:
    Root Cutting
    Wildlife Value:
    Resistant to rabbits and deer
  • Whole Plant Traits:
    Plant Type:
    Herbaceous Perennial
    Perennial
    Habit/Form:
    Clumping
    Texture:
    Coarse
    Appendage:
    Spines
    Thorns
  • Cultural Conditions:
    Light:
    Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day)
    Partial Shade (Direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)
    Soil Texture:
    Clay
    High Organic Matter
    Loam (Silt)
    Sand
    Shallow Rocky
    Soil pH:
    Acid (<6.0)
    Alkaline (>8.0)
    Neutral (6.0-8.0)
    Soil Drainage:
    Good Drainage
    Moist
    Occasionally Dry
    Available Space To Plant:
    6-feet-12 feet
    USDA Plant Hardiness Zone:
    6a, 6b, 7a, 7b, 8a, 8b, 9a, 9b
  • Flowers:
    Flower Color:
    Cream/Tan
    Purple/Lavender
    White
    Flower Inflorescence:
    Spike
    Flower Value To Gardener:
    Good Cut
    Showy
    Flower Bloom Time:
    Spring
    Summer
    Flower Shape:
    Lipped
    Flower Petals:
    Bracts
    fused petals
    Flower Description:
    Large spikes of creamy white resemble hooded snapdragons with spiny purple bracts extend above the leaves 4'-6' in the air
  • Leaves:
    Leaf Color:
    Green
    Leaf Feel:
    Glossy
    Leaf Value To Gardener:
    Showy
    Leaf Arrangement:
    Rosulate
    Leaf Margin:
    Lobed
    Hairs Present:
    No
    Leaf Length:
    > 6 inches
    Leaf Width:
    > 6 inches
    Leaf Description:
    The leaves are up to 2 feet long, deeply lobed and glossy green with soft spines. The basal foliage grows in a rosette.
  • Stem:
    Stem Color:
    Green
    Stem Is Aromatic:
    No
    Stem Description:
    4-6 ft tall thick flower stem
  • Landscape:
    Landscape Location:
    Container
    Patio
    Landscape Theme:
    Cutting Garden
    English Garden
    Design Feature:
    Accent
    Border
    Small groups
    Specimen
    Resistance To Challenges:
    Deer
    Rabbits
    Problems:
    Spines/Thorns