Acanthus sennii

Acanthus sennii is a little-known endemic bear's breech from the highlands of Ethiopia, where it can be found in Juniperus-Podocarpus forests as well as in rocky grasslands between 5,500' and 10,000' elevation. Acanthus sennii forms an open clump to 3' tall x 5' wide when mature. The black stems are adorned with glossy black green leaves. We have found it to be surprisingly winter hardy in our area, where it dies to the ground as a perennial. For us, Acanthus sennii begins flowering in early October with splendid terminal spikes of bright scarlet orange flowers. In Ethiopia, roots are used to treat scorpion stings and a concoction from the leaves is used to treat wounds. Watch our Plant Spotlight video for more information.