Acanthus hungaricus

For the last three years, I’ve been anxiously watching the progress (or lack thereof) of Acanthus hungaricus, a spectacular architectural perennial I fell in love with on a trip to Jordan, Ontario in the Niagara Region. For the first two summers, the plant was barely there. Last year, it seemed to leaf out into a lovely clump, but no flowers. Then, whammo, this year it sprouted 14 stunning flower spikes! It started blooming in early July and still looks handsome, even though some of the florets are drying and turning brown.

Although in warmer zones, lucky gardeners can grow the more common Acanthus mollis, here in Canadian Zone 6b, A. hungaricus is hardier and slightly more compact than A. mollis, making it a better choice for us.