An Acanthus that'll take the heat? Yep....meet 'Summer Beauty', a hybrid Bear's Breeches from Asia that won't melt away during the summer in hot climates! We've had success with it in our Zone 8a north-central Georgia gardens and hear it can handle the heat in Zone 9 and maybe even 10. Living up to its name, in summer this beauty sends up towering flower stalks to 6 feet high above a 4 to 6 feet wide tropical-looking clump of extremely attractive foliage with glossy, deep green cutleaf leaves up to 2 feet long. The bicolor creamy white snapdragon-like flowers, each hooded with a dusky purple bract, bloom late spring to midsummer in vertical rows up and down the entire length of the spike. Summer Beauty is a fine accent specimen or grouping for the shady to partially shaded garden contrasting beautifully with hosta lilies, hardy ferns, heuchera and many other shade-loving perennials, shrubs and trees. Though we suggest shade or filtered sun during the hot afternoon hours, we hear it will tolerate full sun in cool-summer climates. You might be happy to know this one is both deer and rabbit resistant.