favourite perennials: acanthus 'rue ledan'

In this quick video, Sarah talks about one of her favourite perennials, Acanthus 'Rue Ledan'.

Look at the size of this acanthus; I’m five foot nine and they’re taller than me, they must be six foot. This is Acanthus mollis ‘Rue Ledan’ which is one of my new found favourite plants; it is absolutely magnificent for various reasons:

• The scale; which is undeniable.
• It is really happy in shade, which is unusual because most acanthuses really love living in full sun. In Rome you see them cropping up on walls in full sun, but here it’s growing in partial shade and it’s totally happy.
• Even in July when they’re dry, there is no mildew. The classic Acanthus spinosus gets mildew all over its foliage by this stage in the year and only gets worse – you have to cut it right back. Whereas so far, so good with this – it’s looking fantastic.

Acanthus mollis ‘Rue Ledan’ is an absolute win.