By Annie1509
Northamptonshire,
United Kingdom 
Does anyone know the name of the plant in my picture which has the tall purple flowers? I bought it at Chelsea some years ago and it only flowered one year then it grew bigger and bigger with just foliage and I eventually got rid of it as it was overtaking everything else. Shame really as it is quite beautiful.
29 May, 2010
Answers
any chance of a close up picture Annie my eyes dont work lol
29 May, 2010
wow Volunteer that was a split sec before me, your quick
29 May, 2010
This plant is impossible to get rid of once you have it! Also, the best way to increase it is to dig it up and move it.Then lots of the roots left behind will sprout and, voila! 2 clumps!
29 May, 2010
Thank you everyone who answered my question - so its Acanthus Mollis? Ok - I appreciate the help and interest but if you have a not too big garden - DON'T BUY ONE!
30 May, 2010
It's a great plant as long as you put it in the right place first time. It doesn't spread around if you leave it alone, just makes a nice clump and the flowers are really good architectural additions.
1 Jun, 2010
Previous question
« What do I do about the ends of my rose leaves turning brown?
That's Acanthus mollis. The leaves were the inspiration for the tops of the Ancient Greeks Corinthian columns!
29 May, 2010