This is what they look like next to newly planted african daisies, armeria, gazania and recently divided single lilies (to help you get an idea of how small they are).

Heheheh I know they look small now, but in one year A. mollis can easily reach 3.5-4' in width. Ye be warned. :)

I would say they probably won't bloom until next year, but I would not be surprised if they threw up a spike earlier. More depends upon how much of a root system they have below, than the amount of foliage above.

forum hiccup

This post was edited by Gyr_Falcon on Tue, May 13, 14 at 14:41

Thanks, Gyr_Falcon...
I got a decent amount of roots with each plant, much more than when I divided the lilies! In the picture, that's actually 4 separate plants in the area. Did I over-plant the area? I just want it to look lush, which is really hard to do when you're trying to landscape with immature plants! I want instant gratification, but since we're renting this house, I'm reusing everything I find on the property!

This post was edited by LantanaLove on Tue, May 13, 14 at 15:10

Acanthus clumps up and as was said can grow 3-4 feet across. It's also prickly, although A mollis is less spiky than A spinosus, so you might want to rethink the position beside the path. It is very tough and easy to transplant. When it does flower expect a three foot tall spike of bloom.

A.mollis is a pussycat compared to the spiky spinossa or the ferocious spinosissima (I may have missed an 's' out here)....so I wouldn't worry unduly.....and no, it won't flower this year.....but when it does, it will spread and seed around. I have been fighting an ongoing battle to get rid of this.....and yet, in the right circumstances (not mine) this is a classic, stately plant.....but......I wish I had one of the non-flowering types such as the bright Hollard's Gold.

Ha ha I agree with Al

I figure that it's next to grass, so it can just be mowed. If it takes over the walkway, at least we'll have a dramatic entrance to our house.

You will need a string trimmer, pruners, ax and/or shovel to whack the plant back. And they really do not look attractive edged due to how they leaf. Seriously, you should remove the plant on the right/pointed end of the bed. It appears that there is a walkway beside it. Unless that walkway is 6-7' wide, you will wish it was not planted there. And for the other plant, you may want to plan for moving the edge of the lawn back as it grows. I like bear's breeches, but it does demand some room.

Do you have sunnier areas for plants? Gazania likes a lot of heat and sun and can easily withstand difficult conditions where other plants struggle. It will probably grow okay where it is too, but if you need to plant a hot area, it is one to consider.

The yard is mostly shade. Seriously, when my friend's husband came by one day he asked me what we were going to name our forest. The house faces north and we have jacobina and clivia up against the house and the porch. The only spot that receives a ton of light is the hell strip between the sidewalk and street and I just planted tons of flowers and I don't have room for the bears breeches. I wish I knew what they were beforehand or they would have gone there. If these begin to get out of control I may just widen the planting area next to the path to accommodate them. If that doesn't work, I'll tell myself 'At least they're not as bad as the ailanthus infestation coming from next door...'