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I do not have a clue what it is, but it is large (very, - a good 6' tall with 4' spread) with thick (mallow-like) roots, large glossy toothed and grooved leaves, and some simply amazing flower spikes with flowers that seem almost orchid-like (but surely not, - no orchid that I am aware of grows to that size in the UK, - outside of Kew Gardens, anyway).

As far as I can tell it likes damp locations and is currently growing on poor soil with a mix of rocks, and rubble, etc. close to a main road.

- main plant - - flower spike - - flower spike up close - - flower detail -

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This is Acanthus mollis.

According to Wikipedia, it's native to the Mediterranean region, "from Portugal and northwest Africa east to Croatia and it is one of the earliest cultivated species."

I can't imagine why it would be one of the earliest cultivated species (except that it is so easy to "cultivate"); it isn't pretty (my opinion), and you don't eat it. Also be careful ripping it out, its flowers have some nasty spikes that you don't really expect.

I don't know how common it is in the UK, but we have a lot of it in my area (Western USA) mostly because it is a pretty common landscape plant. And we know the classical Mediterranean cultures grew it, because, to quote Wikipedia again, "The shape of the Acanthus leaf ... inspired the ancient Greek sculptor Callimachus (5th c. BCE) to model the capital (crown) of the Corinthian column. Since then, the Corinthian order column has been used extensively in Greco-Roman architecture. Virgil describes Helen of Troy as wearing a dress embroidered with acanthus leaves."

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  • Acanthus species had (and still have) lots of traditional medicinal uses - it was claimed to be a cure for pretty much everything from snake bites to leprosy.
    – alephzero
    Commented Jul 4, 2019 at 12:37
  • Of course, medicinal! That would be a good reason to cultivate ... a weed - just kidding. But about the dress, the leaves aren't really spiky - just the flowers. And I really think they meant the dress was embroidered with colored thread in the pattern of acanthus leaves. It does set up a funny mental image though.
    – Lorel C.
    Commented Jul 4, 2019 at 12:41
  • Sea holly is another member of the acanthus family - that definitely has spiky leaves, just like "real" holly.
    – alephzero
    Commented Jul 4, 2019 at 12:45
  • My thanks to you all, - the plants in my garden (perhaps thankfully) seem content to remain relatively small and benign at the moment; but, personally, I do wonder if Helen of Troy had other reasons for having its leaves embroided on her dress, given that the flowers have hidden spikes? ...or could that be a prickly subject?
    – idvpPtk9G7Y2Tei6
    Commented Jul 5, 2019 at 14:21
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    ...and what was wrong with Achtung! TRIFFIDS? - I thought the title described the oversized beasty perfectly?
    – idvpPtk9G7Y2Tei6
    Commented Jul 5, 2019 at 14:23

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