Acanthus mollis Bear's-breeches

A robust herbaceous perennial with very large, pinnately-lobed basal leaves and a terminal spike of attractive white flowers with purple veins. It is long lived and often grown in gardens and may persist as a relic of cultivation. Plants often remain vegetative for many years before they produce any flowers. It is a Meditteranean species which will probably respond to climate warming.

Neophyte