Old favourite: Acanthus mollis, bear’s breeches, from the Mediterranean. This winter herbaceous perennial emerges spectacularly from the soil in spring to produce towers of flowers. Never without bumblebees in cold temperate England. I discovered to my delight in warm temperate Sydney that if you cut them down to the ground after flowering finishes they flower again and produce a fresh set of leaves. You can even grow them in subtropical Brisbane. Easily raised from seed or division of clumps. Y

Bear's breeches or Acanthus mollis, here being identified by PlantSnap, is a favorite of Australian landscapers as it grows nicely in most parts of the continent. Bear's breeches is often called "oyster plant" and flowers during the summer. | PlantSnap | Facebook

3 comments | PlantSnap.com identifies Bear's breeches (Acanthus mollis), a herbaceous perennial plant with an underground rhizome in the genus Acanthus native to the Mediterranean region from Portugal and northwest Africa east to Croatia and it is one of the earliest cultivated species. | PlantSnap | Facebook

Keep an eye out for Acanthus mollis, also known as bear's breeches, as you walk the garden. Its fantastic tall form is covered with racemes of white flowers during the summer. . . . #acanthus #bearbreeches #flowers #trebah #trebahgarden #falmouth #gardening | Trebah Garden