About
This biennial or short-lived perennial, 1.2m high, with overwintering rosettes of grey-green leaves, and spikes of cream flowers, spotted with maroon inside, over a long flowering period in summer; the flowers appear in the first rather than second year, grow all round the spikes rather than on one side.
About the genus
Digitalis can be biennials or usually short-lived perennials forming a rosette of simple leaves with bell-shaped flowers in slender, erect, usually one-sided racemes
Growing conditions
SunlightPartial shade
Soil typeLoam, Sand
Soil pHAcid, Neutral
Soil moistureMoist but well-drained
AspectSouth-facing, North-facing, West-facing, East-facing
ExposureExposed, Sheltered
UK hardinessH5
Plant details
Plant typeAnnual Biennial
HabitColumnar upright
FoliageSemi evergreen
Height1-1.5 metres
Spread0.1-0.5 metres
Time to full height1-2 years
Suggested usesCity and courtyard gardens, Cottage and informal garden, Coastal, Wildlife gardens
ToxicityTOXIC if eaten. Wear gloves and other protective equipment when handling TOXIC to pets - see the HTA guide to potentially harmful plants for further information and useful contact numbers
Care notes
CultivationGrow in moist but well-drained humus-rich soil in light dappled shade, for example in a mixed bed or an open woodland garden, and add organic mulch; native foxgloves are usually found in the wild on acidic soils, but they can also grow on neutral soils, and tolerate slightly alkaline soils. See foxglove cultivation for further advice
PruningNo pruning required, but deadheading, cutting down dead flowering stems, will encourage secondary flowering shoots, and encourage growth the following year
PropagationPropagate by seed, sown in spring; it is an F1 hybrid, so plants from self-seeding will not come true
Pest resistanceMay be susceptible to aphids and leaf and bud eelworm
Disease resistanceMay be susceptible to powdery mildews, downy mildews and leaf spot