With bold, eye-catching foliage and striking flower spikes, this impressive perennial fills space with dramatic dark green, thistle-like foliage topped with 3-4′ spikes of large, mauve and white blooms in late spring through summer. Hardier than Acanthus mollis and slow-growing, plants can take some time to establish, but will colonize once they do.
Native to Europe and the Mediterranean, the genus dates back to the ancient Greeks, who used the lobed leaves as the pattern for the Corinthian order on columns. Plants form imposing, semi-evergreen mounds that produce grand spikes of color. If you’re looking for a showstopper, consider Acanthus spinosus!