- Botanical name: Acanthus mollis 'Whitewater'
- Common name: Bear's breeches
- Family: Acanthaceae
- Plant Type: Perennial, Deciduous
White
Green
- Key features:
- Attractive to wildlife
- Dramatic foliage
- Flowers
Acanthus mollis bears enormous, deeply lobed leaves, from which tall flower spikes clothed in white flowers, each with a hood-like purple bract, emerge in late summer. The flowers can be used in fresh and dried arrangements.
Acanthus mollis ‘Whitewater’ has dark green leaves heavily splashed with white, with bold margins. Its flowers are pink and cream-white. It’s perfect for growing in a mixed herbaceous border, particularly among plants with bold colours, and makes striking architectural presence.
Grow Acanthus mollis ‘Whitewater’ in well-drained, fertile soil, in full sun or partial shade. Divide congested clumps in spring or autumn. It’s a herbaceous perennial, so its foliage dies down in autumn, reappearing the following spring.
While it doesn’t spread, Acanthus mollis ‘Whitewater’ does grow into a large clump, which is relatively trouble-free unless you want to move it. However, if you do decide to move it, you may find you’re unable to eradicate it from its original spot – its roots are so deep that it’s hard to remove them all when you dig the plant out of the ground. These then quickly grow into new plants, which can prove impossible to get rid of.
More on growing Acanthus mollis:
Where to buy Acanthus mollis ‘Whitewater’
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How to grow Acanthus 'Whitewater'
-
Plant size
1.5m height
90cm spread
-
Aspect
North facing, south facing, east facing, west facing
-
Position in border
Middle
- Sun exposure: Dappled shade, full sun, partial shade
- Hardiness: Hardy
- Soil type: Acidic / chalky / alkaline / clay / heavy / moist / well drained / light / sandy
Plant calendar
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sow | ||||||||||||
| Sow |
J
Do not Sow in January |
F
Do not Sow in February |
M
Do Sow in March |
A
Do Sow in April |
M
Do not Sow in May |
J
Do not Sow in June |
J
Do not Sow in July |
A
Do not Sow in August |
S
Do not Sow in September |
O
Do not Sow in October |
N
Do not Sow in November |
D
Do not Sow in December |
| Plant | ||||||||||||
| Plant |
J
Do not Plant in January |
F
Do not Plant in February |
M
Do not Plant in March |
A
Do not Plant in April |
M
Do Plant in May |
J
Do Plant in June |
J
Do Plant in July |
A
Do Plant in August |
S
Do Plant in September |
O
Do not Plant in October |
N
Do not Plant in November |
D
Do not Plant in December |
| Flowers | ||||||||||||
| Flowers |
J
Plant does not flower in January |
F
Plant does not flower in February |
M
Plant does not flower in March |
A
Plant does not flower in April |
M
Plant does not flower in May |
J
Plant does not flower in June |
J
Plant does flower in July |
A
Plant does flower in August |
S
Plant does not flower in September |
O
Plant does not flower in October |
N
Plant does not flower in November |
D
Plant does not flower in December |
Acanthus 'Whitewater' and wildlife
Acanthus 'Whitewater' is known for attracting bees. It has nectar/pollen rich flowers.
Attractive to Bees
Does not attract Beneficial insects
Does not attract Birds
Does not attract Butterflies/Moths
Does not attract Other pollinators
Is Acanthus 'Whitewater' poisonous?
Acanthus 'Whitewater' has no toxic effects reported.
No reported toxicity to Birds
No reported toxicity to Cats
No reported toxicity to Dogs
No reported toxicity to Horses
No reported toxicity to Livestock
No reported toxicity to People
