My Garden

Please can anyone identify this?

Last post 24-07-2009 9:17 PM by bigsusan55. 8 replies.

• 01/07/2009 10:53 PM
  SallyH Location: Abingdon Joined on: 16 May 2009 Posts: 11	Reply | Contact  This beautiful plant has lush green leaves all year round, with tall 6ft flower spikes, flowers palish purple/cream   Thanks very much

• 01/07/2009 11:02 PM	In reply to
  Silver surfer Location: South Wales. U.K. Joined on: 09 Jun 2008 Posts: 384	Reply | Contact Looks like Acanthus spinosus. Common name Bear's breeches.   http://images.google.com/images?q=Acanthus%20spinosus&rls=p,com.microsoft:en-gb:IE-SearchBox&oe=UTF-8&sourceid=ie7&rlz=1I7SUNA_en-GB&um=1&ie=UTF-8&sa=N&hl=en&tab=wi

• 02/07/2009 07:45 AM	In reply to
  Phot's-Moll Location: The sunny South coast. Joined on: 06 Jan 2007 Posts: 3,333	Reply | Contact  I agree. Whether you think you can do a thing, or think you cannot, you are right.

• 02/07/2009 08:19 AM	In reply to
  SallyH Location: Abingdon Joined on: 16 May 2009 Posts: 11	Reply | Contact Thanks very much!

• 03/07/2009 06:12 PM

  In reply to

  bigsusan55 Location: North-West London Joined on: 14 May 2009 Posts: 144

  Reply | Contact Acanthus, yes.  Spinosus (or spinosa?), I'm not certain about that.  The naming of acanthus seems to be a bit variable, but the RHS version of acanthus spinosis is much more prickly:- http://www.rhs.org.uk/rhsplantselector/plantdetail.aspx?plantid=42114 Howver, the BBC website seems to show something similar to yours as Acanthus spinosus so its anybody's guess.  The web doesn't help much. Just to confuse matters, I have an acanthus that is even more prickly that the one shown on the RHS site - much worse than a thistle.  I keep wondering whether I really like it and whether to get rid of it, but I haven't got the heart to do it. Susan B

• 03/07/2009 06:46 PM

  In reply to

  Silver surfer Location: South Wales. U.K. Joined on: 09 Jun 2008 Posts: 384

  Reply | Contact The RHS Plantfinder, which I try to use to check spellings use Acanthus spinosus.   Think this is the link you added bigsusan55.   http://www.rhs.org.uk/rhsplantselector/plantdetail.aspx?plantid=42114   There is a REALLY prickly one called Acanthus spinosus Spinosissimus group.Maybe this is the one you have bigsusan55.   http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://img.hgtv.com/HGTV/2006/10/25/acanthus_spinosus_foliage_lg.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.hgtv.com/landscaping/bears-breeches/index.html&usg=__7Q0_WCp43AHTxoKGgvaPoO2xL9w=&h=821&w=616&sz=215&hl=en&start=2&um=1&tbnid=c2xzXxznQR5cyM:&tbnh=144&tbnw=108&prev=/images%3Fq%3DAcanthus%2Bspinosus%2Bspinosissimus%26hl%3Den%26rls%3Dp,com.microsoft:en-gb:IE-SearchBox%26rlz%3D1I7SUNA_en-GB%26sa%3DN%26um%3D1

• 24/07/2009 07:03 PM

  In reply to

  bigsusan55 Location: North-West London Joined on: 14 May 2009 Posts: 144

  Reply | Contact Thanks Silversurfer.  Sorry about the delay in replying; somehow the emailing bit got redisabled. I haven't found out how to paste a real link in yet, so thanks for creating it. My acanthus is even more prickly than that. Sorry about the poor pictures.  OH has my camera, so I had to use my phone.  No flowers this year; I suspect it doesn't like being in a pot, but I'm undecided whether to allow it garden space.

• 24/07/2009 07:35 PM	In reply to
  Silver surfer Location: South Wales. U.K. Joined on: 09 Jun 2008 Posts: 384	Reply | Contact Another pic for you bigsusan   http://www.popsignage.com/_ccLib/image/plantstock/COMP-003284.jpg   http://www.floralworld.ru/images/plants/acanthus_spinosissimus.jpg

• 24/07/2009 09:17 PM

  In reply to

  bigsusan55 Location: North-West London Joined on: 14 May 2009 Posts: 144

  Reply | Contact  Ah, yes, those look as vicious as mine.  Thanks Silver surfer - I shall go and label it.  There does seem to be some variation in how prickly it gets, doesn't there.  Perhaps it is growing conditions? Anyway, I shall keep it for a while longer.  I keep thinking that it should look good in the right place in the garden and move the pot around frequently, but have never found that perfect spot.  And I must have had the plant for at least 12 years!  It has been split and repotted in that time, of course.