acanthus seed pods

Hi all,
just acquired some acanthus seed pods off my friends plant. When would be the best time to plant the seeds inside??

 

There are three hardy types of acanthus: A. longifolia from the Balkans, A. mollis from Italy and A. spinosa from S. Europe. My little black book says that you should sow seeds in March in pans of compost in a cold frame. When there are two or three true leaves, plant out into a nursery bed for two years and then move to permanent bed.

Mine is hardy but goes a bit limp in the drought. Hasn't self seeded but is beginning to establish a nice big clump. Saw them growing in great masses in Crete (or was it Madeira?)

This is mine:

 

Fantastic info Hornbeam, thank you I love their huge shiny leaves. Well worth waiting a couple of years for!!
Great pic too, thanks

 

Windy. I grew Acanthus mollis a couple of years ago, and they have just flowered this year for a the first time and presented me with some seed pods.

Thay are lovely plants - but just be careful where you finally plant them. They grow from root cuttings, so everytime you move a plant or want to get rid of it, three more spring up the following year.

 

:eek: Thanks for that Pete.
I must confess I suffer from female 'change my mind' syndrome and am forever moving stuff about, so I'll consider their home very carefully

 

Acanthus is a wondeful 'architectural' plant but beware it can and will self seed and with a root which heads straight down it is one heck of a plant to get rid of. Mine flowers just like the one in Hornbeam's photo every year but I have difficulty in digging out it's offspring. Only dug out a couple last week but failed to get the whole root.

 

Thanks for the warning Chobart
Suppose you'll be digging it out again next year then???? :D

 

Indeed I shall Windy. The trouble is that the Acanthus is a big spreader as well, sometimes the flowers have been over 6ft. which is great until they start to flop over. I never knew that it would self seed until it was too late so I have to dig out regularly............