Foxglove

Sun

Partial shade, or full sun where summers are cool and the soil stays moist. Give afternoon shade in hotter areas.

Water

Keep the soil evenly moist while plants establish and during dry spells. Avoid waterlogged soil and constantly wet crowns.

Soil

Humus-rich, well-drained soil, preferably slightly acidic to neutral. Tolerates a range of soils but struggles in very dry ground or stagnant winter wet.

Height

3-5 ft (0.9-1.5 m)

Spread

1-2 ft (0.3-0.6 m)

Flowers

Late spring to midsummer, depending on climate; usually purple-pink, with white or pale pink forms and darker spotting inside the hanging bells.

Foliage

Evergreen. Broad, softly hairy, wrinkled green leaves form a basal rosette, with smaller leaves up the flower stems.

Growth

Fast; usually forms a rosette in its first year and flowers in its second.

Care needed

Medium

• Water deeply during dry spells, especially while flower stems are developing.
• Add a thin layer of compost in spring; avoid heavy nitrogen feeding, which encourages soft growth.
• Mulch around plants to conserve moisture, keeping mulch clear of the central crown.
• Stake tall flower spikes early in exposed gardens.
• Thin or transplant young rosettes to about 1-2 ft (0.3-0.6 m) apart.
• Remove unwanted seedlings before they establish, especially near natural areas.

Pruning. Cut the main flower spike down to the basal leaves after flowering to encourage smaller side shoots. Leave a few spikes to ripen only where self-seeding is wanted; otherwise remove them before seed capsules open.

Early spring

Remove damaged rosette leaves, add compost and check that crowns are not buried under mulch.

Spring

Plant established rosettes and stake developing stems in windy positions.

Late spring

Check young growth for aphids and water during dry spells.

Summer

Cut back spent flower spikes, leaving only those needed for seed.

Summer

Surface-sow fresh seed in trays or a prepared seedbed; keep moist and shaded from strong sun.

Early autumn

Move sturdy young rosettes into their flowering positions while the soil is still workable.

Winter

Keep drainage channels clear and remove fallen debris that traps moisture over the crowns.

• Plant loose groups behind hardy geraniums and lady's mantle for vertical accents above a low, spreading layer.
• Use along lightly shaded woodland edges with ferns and hostas, where the flowers rise above broad foliage.
• Thread through roses and peonies to add narrow flower spires between rounded blooms.
• Repeat small groups along a cottage path or border for rhythm, keeping poisonous plants away from places where children or pets may sample leaves.

Garden styles it suits: Cottage garden, English country, Woodland, Romantic rose garden, Pollinator garden and Pastel border.

Plant it with: Hardy geraniums, Lady's mantle, Hostas, Ferns, Roses and Peonies.

Wildlife: The tubular flowers provide nectar and pollen for bumblebees. The plant is native to parts of Europe, including the UK, but is introduced in North America and Australia; its wildlife value does not justify letting it escape into natural habitats.

• Slugs and snails damage young rosettes: inspect after dark, remove hiding places and use locally approved controls if needed.
• Aphids cluster on soft stems: wash them off with water and encourage natural predators.
• Leaf spots and powdery mildew affect crowded plants: improve spacing, water the soil rather than foliage and remove badly affected leaves.
• Crown rot develops in wet, poorly drained ground: improve drainage, keep mulch off crowns and discard collapsing plants.

Highly toxic to people, cats, dogs and horses. All parts, including leaves, flowers, roots and seeds, contain cardiac glycosides; ingestion can cause vomiting, dangerous heart rhythms and death. Dried material remains poisonous. Keep it out of grazing areas and seek urgent medical or veterinary advice after suspected ingestion.

Where it spreads. Self-seeds freely and can spread aggressively in moist, disturbed habitats outside its native range. It is recognised as invasive or an environmental weed in parts of coastal British Columbia, the Pacific Northwest of the United States, and southeastern Australia, including Victoria and Tasmania. Check local guidance and prevent seed escape near bushland or woodland.

• Comfrey (Symphytum officinale)

  Comfrey has coarser, bristlier leaves and branching stems bearing clusters of smaller flowers, rather than a tall, mainly one-sided spike of large bells.

• Great mullein (Verbascum thapsus)

  Its rosette is much more densely woolly and grey, and its flower spike carries open yellow flowers rather than hanging, spotted bells.

Digitalis comes from the Latin digitus, meaning finger, referring to the finger-shaped flowers, while purpurea means purple.

Propagation. Grow from seed, usually sown in late spring or summer for flowering the following year. Press seed onto moist seed compost without burying it, as light aids germination. Transplant small rosettes before their roots become crowded; seedlings may differ from the parent.

Accepted botanical name

Digitalis purpurea

In the US and Canada

Introduced in Alaska, Canada, the lower 48 states and St. Pierre and Miquelon.

Native range

Belgium, Corse, Czechoslovakia, France, Germany, Great Britain, Ireland, Morocco, Portugal, Sardegna, Spain and Sweden.

Measured

Average height 59 cm.

Sources: GBIF (CC BY 4.0), USDA PLANTS and Trefle (CC BY 4.0). The care and design notes are LandscapeGPT's own.