Bears Breeches (Acanthus Mollis) Profile

Bear's Breeches (Acanthus mollis) is an evergreen erect subshrub, caespitose, plant height 50~90cm, opposite leaves, pinnately divided or lobed. Bear's Breeches flowering in spring, fruiting in summer.

Bear's Breeches Picture

Bear's Breeches Info

Botanical Name	Acanthus mollis
Common Names	Bear's Breeches, Oyster Plant
Plant Type	Perennial
Sun	Part shade to full shade
Hardiness Zones	6 to 10; they can often survive winter down to Zone 5, but can be a gamble in a harsh winter
Flower color	White flowers grow on tall (3 feet) flower stalks and are hooded by purple bracts
Native Area	Southern Europe and Mediterranean region
Mature size	3 to 6 feet tall and 3 to 6 feet wide

Characteristics of Bear's Breeches

Bear's Breeches Strain

Bear's Breeches are an evergreen erect subshrub, caespitose, plant height 50 -- 90 cm.

Bear's Breeches Leaf

The leaves of a Bear's Breeches are opposite, pinnately divided or lobed.

Bear's Breeches Flowers

Inflorescence of Bear's Breeches are spicate, terminal, large bracts, numerous florets, white to maroon, shaped like a duck's bill, corolla 2 lips, upper lip minuscule into a single lip, lower lip large and spreading.

Bear's Breeches bloom in spring.

Bear's Breeches Fruit

Bear's Breeches is the capsule.

Bear's Breeches are fruiting in summer.

Ecological Habits of Bear's Breeches

Bear's Breeches prefer fertile, loose, well drained neutral to slightly acidic soils.

The optimum growth temperature of Bear's Breeches is 15℃-28℃. All or half sunshine is acceptable.

How to Grow and Care for Bear's Breeches 

Bear's Breeches Light Requirements

Bear's Breeches will do high-quality in full solar to partial shade. They want greater safety in warm climates, however anyplace you develop them, they want at least a few hours of solar to bloom well.

Bear's Breeches Soil Care

Bear’s Breeches like a prosperous soil with lots of compost or different natural matter. Once established, they are greatly accommodating about terrible soil, however they in reality want true drainage, specifically in winter. Sitting in cold, moist soil can reason the roots to rot and may additionally kill the plants.

Bear's Breeches Watering

Once established, Bear's Breeches are very drought resistant. They are first-rate with ordinary water. An inch a week needs to be plenty.

Bear's Breeches Temperature & Humidity Care

These vegetation are dependably hardy. Protect your plant life at some point of their first couple of winters with a thick layer of mulch. In Zones 6 and lower, proceed this exercise for the existence of your plants.

Bear's Breeches Fertilizer

Bear's Breeches are no longer heavy feeders. Start with a prosperous soil and facet gown yearly with compost. You can use a balanced fertilizer in spring or mid-summer if the vegetation seem to be like they want it.

Pruning Bear's Breeches

In warm climates, the plant life can be reduced after flowering. This will motivate clean new foliage. Gardeners with bloodless winters have to depart the flora standing and permit the leaves to shield the crown. Wait till you see new growth, in the spring, to reduce any broken or declining leaves.

Bear's Breeches Pests & Diseases

Insects don’t typically trouble Bear’s Breeches, however these excellent leaves can be prone to a handful of diseases, with powdery mildew being the ordinary culprit. Good air circulation and a dose of selfmade fungicide will assist with that.

Insects: Aphids may additionally come to be a trouble in the thick leaves and slugs and snails will disguise out and feed, if the soil is damp.

Diseases: Powdery mildew, different fungal leaf spot diseases, and bacterial leaf spot can be an issue.

Propagating Bear's Breeches

There are a few methods you can correctly propagate Bear's Breeches:

Starting from Seed: If you can locate the seed, the first-class time to begin Bear’s Breeches from seed is in spring. You can begin seed indoors or direct sow, however count on to wait countless years for them to bloom. They want time to develop and set up their root machine earlier than they begin to ship out flower buds.

Division: Bear's Breeches have lengthy faucet roots and do no longer like to be moved. If you favor dividing your plants, the satisfactory way to do it is to thrust a shovel via the base of the plant’s roots, in fall, leaving the plant in place. The following spring, you must see various new “baby” flora that can without difficulty be transplanted.

Cuttings: You can additionally multiply your plant life through taking root cuttings in both the spring or fall.

Varieties of Bear's Breeches

Acanthus balcanicus var. hungaricus Hungarian Bear's Breech: The most extensively adaptable species, it blooms later and is much less inclined to late frosts.

Acanthus mollis Common Bear’s Breeches: This is the most famous species, however it can additionally be the most temperamental about blooming, with buds being broken by way of late spring frosts.

Acanthus. spinosus Spiny Bear’s Breeches: This is greater adaptable than A. mollis and greater thistle-like.

Distribution of Bear's Breeches

Bear's Breeches are native to southern Europe, northern Africa and subtropical southwestern Asia.

Garden Use of Bear's Breeches

Bear's Breeches' potted plants are suitable for balcony and rooftop viewing. They can be planted on the side of the yard, in front of a window or on a flowerbed.