After a thunderstorm roared through the Ottawa area on Sunday night, our power was out for a few hours. Much worse than that, the internet service was knocked out for a day and a half! I’m still having some connecting issues, so have been mostly offline the last few days. Fortunately, the storm didn’t damage the garden, apart from bending over some hollyhocks, and I’ll continue with the post I had planned for Monday about Bear’s Breeches (Acanthus hungaricus). Now, who wouldn’t want a plant with a name like that in their garden?
How this interesting and attractive plant came by its common name seems to be a bit of a mystery. It’s a statuesque plant, with a mound of large, deeply cut leaves forming a base for tall spikes of hooded two-tone flowers. It makes a great specimen plant, adding an exotic touch to the early July garden. My acanthus is just a year old, and still has a bit more filling in to do as it reaches maturity.
There are some 30 species of acanthus, native to Asia and the Mediterranean region. Hungarian Bear’s Breeches (Acanthus hungaricus) is one of the hardiest, and most appropriate for northern gardens.
Acanthus leaves have been used as the model for a decorative motif for centuries. In Ancient Greek architecture acanthus ornament appears extensively in the capitals of Corinthian orders. Acanthus decoration continued in popularity in Byzantine, Romanesque and Gothic architecture, and saw a major revival in the Renaissance.
I don’t happen to have any Corinthian capitals, but the plant is a great addition to the garden.
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