Rusty foxglove

Sun

Full sun to partial shade; afternoon shade is helpful in hot summers.

Water

Moderate; keep young plants evenly moist and water established plants during prolonged dry spells.

Soil

Well-drained, humus-rich soil; tolerates a range of soil types and pH levels but dislikes winter waterlogging.

Height

3-5 ft (0.9-1.5 m)

Spread

1-1.5 ft (0.3-0.45 m)

Flowers

Early to midsummer; densely packed, small tubular flowers in ochre, rusty yellow and brown, with darker veining.

Foliage

Evergreen. Narrow, dark green leaves form basal rosettes, with smaller leaves up the flowering stems. Rosettes usually remain green in mild winters but may lose foliage in severe cold.

Growth

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

Care needed

Low

• Pollinators
• Deer resistant
• Cold hardy
• Low allergen

Northern hemisphere months. In Australia, shift them by six.

Difficulty

Easy

Toughness

Fairly tough

Pick your zone, country, light and whether you have pets.

1. Planting day

   1 ft (0.3 m)

2. After 1 year

   2 ft (0.6 m)

3. After 2 years

   3 ft (0.9 m)

4. After 3 years

   4 ft (1.2 m)

   full size

About 3 years to full size.

From a typical nursery size, at an average rate for this kind of plant. A rule of thumb, not a forecast.

Cats and dogs

Toxic

Growth rate

Moderate

• Water newly planted rosettes regularly until established; avoid keeping the soil saturated.
• Apply a thin layer of compost in spring rather than heavy doses of fertiliser.
• Keep mulch clear of the crown to reduce winter rot.
• Stake tall flower stems early if the site is windy or exposed.
• Leave a few seed heads if you want replacement plants, and thin seedlings to prevent crowding.

Pruning. After flowering, cut stems to the base to prevent self-seeding, or leave selected stems until their seed has dispersed. Remove dead or damaged rosette leaves in late winter or early spring.

Early spring

Remove dead leaves, check crowns for rot and spread a thin layer of compost around healthy rosettes.

Spring

Plant young rosettes and thin self-sown seedlings to about 1-1.5 ft (0.3-0.45 m) apart.

Late spring

Add discreet stakes before flower stems become tall in exposed positions.

Summer

Water during prolonged dry weather and remove spent stems unless seed is wanted.

Late summer

Collect ripe seed as capsules turn brown, or let a few stems shed seed naturally.

Autumn

Move small self-sown rosettes into their final positions and keep fallen leaves from smothering their crowns.

• Place among lower perennials in a mixed border to create narrow vertical accents.
• Combine with ornamental grasses for a loose, naturalistic planting with contrasting flower and leaf shapes.
• Use against a dark hedge or shrub backdrop so the ochre flower spikes stand out.
• Allow small groups to self-sow through cottage borders or along bright woodland edges.

Garden styles it suits: Cottage garden, English country, New perennial (prairie), Woodland, Pollinator garden and Modern rustic.

Plant it with: Lady's mantle, Meadow cranesbill, Catmint, Masterwort, Tufted hair grass and Purple coneflower.

Wildlife: The tubular flowers provide nectar and pollen for bees, especially bumblebees. Avoid insecticide sprays on flowering plants.

• Slugs and snails can damage young rosettes; inspect during damp evenings, remove hiding places and protect vulnerable seedlings.
• Crown or root rot develops in waterlogged soil; improve drainage and keep mulch away from the crown.
• Powdery mildew or leaf spots may affect crowded plants; improve airflow, water at soil level and remove badly affected leaves.
• Plants may die after flowering; retain a few seed heads or raise replacement seedlings rather than relying on individual plants to persist.

All parts, including leaves, flowers and seeds, are highly toxic if eaten by people, cats, dogs or horses. Cardiac glycosides can cause vomiting, dangerous heart-rhythm disturbances and death; seek urgent medical or veterinary advice after suspected ingestion. Do not grow where grazing animals can reach it, and wear gloves when handling if your skin is sensitive.

• Woolly foxglove (Digitalis lanata)

  Has conspicuously woolly flower spikes and cream flowers with brown netting and a prominent pale lower lip; rusty foxglove has a less woolly spike and a more consistently rusty yellow-brown appearance.

• Yellow foxglove (Digitalis grandiflora)

  Has larger, broader, pale yellow bells arranged more loosely along the stem, rather than the small, densely packed rusty flowers of rusty foxglove.

• Common foxglove (Digitalis purpurea)

  Usually has much larger purple, pink or white bells with strongly spotted throats, and broader, softly hairy basal leaves.

Digitalis comes from the Latin for finger, referring to the finger-shaped flowers, while ferruginea means rust-coloured.

Propagation. Grow from seed sown on the surface of moist seed compost in late spring or summer; do not bury it, as light helps germination. Transplant seedlings while small, or move young self-sown rosettes in spring or autumn. Most plants flower the following year.

Accepted botanical name

Digitalis ferruginea

Native range

Albania, Bulgaria, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Lebanon-Syria, North Caucasus, Romania, Transcaucasus, Turkey, Turkey-in-Europe and Yugoslavia.

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