Harringay, Haringey - So Good they Spelt it Twice!
Assaulted by my Acanthus
I've been working in the garden a bit for the past few days and was aware of something being thrown at me. I wasn't sure if it was a disgruntled neighbour or a bird dropping something or what. Today I tracked it down the culprit as my spiny acanthus plant.
I've had the plant in the garden for many years and I'd never noticed it before but this plant apparently has an entertaining way of broadcasting its seeds.
When the seed pods ripen, they burst and fling their single coffee bean-like seed 10 feet or more away from the parent plant.
Have I somehow managed to remain oblivious to this all these years or has the hot dry summer led to a glut of seeds with hyperactive broadcasting mechanisms?
Acanthus Spinosus in Summer
Ripening seed pods
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Mavic Starfish on
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I didn't know that either, but I did notice a blue tit working its way up and down the spine of my plants. It dislodged one then picked it off the ground and flew off, nature at work is a wonderful sight.
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Permalink Reply by Hugh on
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Brave bird. If you try and pick a seed out with your fingers, you'll realise just how effective those spines are!
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Permalink Reply by Alison P on
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I never knew this either, thank you! I had a similar experience a few years ago but it was a sporadic odd popping noise. Turned about to be a Euphorbia that has a similar technique when it comes to spreading its seed.
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Mellifera. Gorgeous plant. Mine had to be cut down but a seed had got into my neighbours’ garden so a new plant grew there!.
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I hadn’t heard of that one. It seems to be a much esteemed variety. But apparently it gets up to 6 feet across. Was yours that huge?
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Yes and it wasn’t well located (too near the fence) so it was growing in a very lop sided way. Smelt gorgeous and looked amazing - top of my list if I ever have a bigger garden ...
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I just came across this in a Telegraph article:
In the wild the seeds would be propelled 6m (19.2ft) or more when the capsule splits, but I've never seen it happen here.
I wonder if it was the weather this year.
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