Bargain Buy ID

Bought this at the car-bootie this morning for £2.



The guy on the stall said he knew about plants, but wasn't really all that great with the name - he thought it began with an 'a'! I like a surprise, and he says it has white flowers, so it's going in a gap in my white bed.

I won't be annoyed if it's not white, I like the foliage anyway! I initially thought it was a fern.

Anyone any idea what it is???

 

Acanthus probably spinosus. Grows to about 5 feet tall, can be very invasive.
Flowers are white and purple.

 

I grow it in a big pot - but its outgrowing that. The reason is that it propagates itself from root cuttings. This means that when you want to get rid of it, you dig it up but will leave 5 tiny pieces of root behind. These turn into 5 more plants. When you want to get rid of these you dig them up but will leave some more tiny pieces of root behind and now have 25 plants.

But the good news is that you can take them along to a car boot sale. :D

 

Thankyou Palustris and Peter! Have googled it, and instantly recognise the flower - it is a plant I have admired in gardens, so am rather pleased!

I already have several invasive plants propogated by root cuttings around the garden...ground elder, dandilion, some sage/smelly leaved plant, I mean weed...so thanks for the warning!

It is in a spot right at the back of the garden (interestingly where I managed to rid myself of the pretty - but invasive aster, which also propogated itself via it's root!) Yikes, I'm just remembering the blumin mint that's crept in there from the pond too!!! It is in good company!

Anyway, maybe I should dig it up again now (noticed the good rootstock when planting!) and sink a large pot into the ground, then replant? Would the roots still escape through the drainage holes? Or maybe I should just leave it with the knowledge that I will be diggin up it's offspring forevermore. I am used to that!! :D

What do you think?