Content
- Maintain Acanthus properly - that's how it works
- What to look for when casting?
- Should Acanthus plants be fertilized?
- How do the wild perennials spend the winter?
- Tips
The True Bear Claw is a popular ornamental plant
Maintain Acanthus properly - that's how it works
For creative gardeners with a passion for rare ornamental plants, acanthus plants are a good choice. The ornamental wild shrubs from distant lands are characterized by modest demands on care. This guide informs you compactly and practically about the key factors in the care program.
What to look for when casting?
Among the 30 Acanthus species, True Bear Claw and Balkan Bear Claw have emerged as magnificent ornamental plants for natural garden design. The preference for a sunny location in combination with a large volume of leaves increases the need for water. How to pour properly:
Stop the inflow of irrigation water in time so that no waterlogging can form. Short-term dryness can cope with the plants better than a drenched root ball.
Should Acanthus plants be fertilized?
Compost and horn shavings, as starting fertilizer, boost the growth of Acanthus in the bed. For potted plants we recommend to add a phosphorus-stressed liquid fertilizer for flowering plants to the irrigation water every 4 weeks from April to August.
How do the wild perennials spend the winter?
Acanthus plants are not native to Germany and Austria. This results in a limited winter hardiness, which requires special precautions for hibernation. How to guide Acanthus mollis and Acanthus hungaricus through the cold season:
A frost-free wintering behind glass scores with the advantage that Acanthus plants do not shed their leaves. In the bright location at temperatures of 5 to 10 degrees Celsius, the natural beauties make themselves useful as winter decoration in unheated rooms or the cool staircase.
Tips
Please do not confuse the decorative Acanthus species with the native Heracleum species. Both genera are popularly called bear claw, although they are not related botanically. While True Bear Claw (Acanthus mollis) and Balkan Bear Claw (Acanthus hungaricus) are not poisonous, Giant Bear Claw (Heracleum mantegazzianum) is considered dangerous to both humans and animals.