The soft acanthus (Acanthus mollis) belongs to the acanthus family (Acanthaceae). Since ancient times, acanthus leaves have been a decorative motif often used by painters and sculptors.
This stately perennial grows up to 80 cm tall and is distinguished by large, shiny, clipped leaves forming a loose rosette. In June, long inflorescence shoots emerge from between the leaves. Lip-shaped, bicoloured flowers of soft acanthus, gathered in long clusters. The flowering period of the plant lasts 3-4 weeks.
Soft acanthus - application
Asoft edge, due to its size, looks great when planted as a solitaire. It goes well with branchy plants such as Lindheimer gaura or ornamental grasses such as miscanthus or pampas grass. Less magnificent species may disappear in the shadow of this showy perennial.
Due to its exotic appearance, the soft acanthus has many interesting varieties, the most popular of which are: Tasmanian Angel soft acanthus with white-green leaves and white flowers, Whitewater soft acanthus with cream-pink flowers and green leaves with with white edging or accents, and Hollard's Gold Soft Acanthus with purple-white flowers and golden leaves.
Soft acanthus: cultivation and care
The acanthus is not difficult to grow. We must not forget to use limiters so that this expansive plant does not dominate the garden.It is best to allocate quiet, sunny or semi-shaded places for acanthus. The substrate should be fertile, humus and slightly moist. As the plant does not tolerate stagnant water, it is also permeable.Adult specimens tolerate drought well, but young plants should be watered regularly. If we have provided fertile ground during planting, we do not need to fertilize them additionally during the season. Feeding is done on poorly fertile soils and when the plants visibly grow and bloom less.
Multicomponent mineral fertilizers or organic fertilizers should deal with this problem.
The acanthus who likes high temperatures is often grown in containers and brought into the garden with the arrival of summer. Plants grown in the ground require winter cover, preferably with a thick layer of dry leaves. In spring, trim the plants a few cm above the ground - young leaves will appear soon.
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Soft acanthus - reproduction
The reproduction of acanthus is not complicated and new plants can be obtained in several ways. Acanthus seeds are sown in March and covered with glass or foil. When seedlings appear, pick them into individual pots. We plant the plants in the ground in autumn or spring.
The shoot cuttings collected in spring are placed in a container with moist sand and the temperature is kept at 20-23 ° C. After just a few weeks, we can plant the rooted plants in the garden. In winter, we can take root cuttings from pitted mother plants. We place them vertically in the ground, and with the arrival of spring we plant them permanently.
