East facing, north facing, south facing, west facing
Position in Border:
Middle
Soil
Acidic / Chalky / Alkaline / Clay / Heavy / Moist / Well Drained / Light / Sandy
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.
