Acanthus: A favorite shade perennial.

June 3, 2013 | By webadmin

Creating interesting shade gardens can often be a challenge, especially in hot climate's like Texas. Plants that bloom heavily in the shade are not as common as their sun-loving companions. But with the need for many shade trees in our climate, many of us end up with full shade gardens to manage. 

One of our favorite showy shade perennials is called Bear's Breech, or Acanthus mollis. This tough perennial is a favorite for it's dense clumps of large shiny leaves. Plants tolerate our heavy clay soils and hot dry summers.  In addition to its impressive foliage, Bear's Breech puts on 3-foot tall spikes of flowers with white petals and purple bracts.

We consider this perennial an "architectural" feature due to it's unique shape and stature. In the photo above, we've used Bear's Breach as an accent plant around a shady stone patio we created for one of our customers. Bear's Breech can be planted in full shade, or morning sun with afternoon shade. Plants begin to bloom in late spring or early summer and can continue blooming through summer. We can combine Bear's Breech with other tough shade lovers like Turk's Cap, Autumn Fern and Hellebore (Lenten Rose).

Do you have a shady garden that needs a face lift? Give us a call at 214-824-7036 or EMAIL US for a consultation!