About
A biennial or short-lived perennial, 75cm high, with overwintering rosettes of green leaves and spikes of flowers which grow all round the stems and are pale lemon-yellow, spotted inside with maroon, in early summer.
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
SunlightFull sun, Partial 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
Height0.5-1 metres
Spread0.1-0.5 metres
Time to full height1-2 years
Suggested usesCottage and informal garden, City and courtyard gardens, 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, or in full sun, 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 the dead flowering stems, may encourage growth the following year
PropagationPropagate by seed, sown in spring; it will self-seed, but may not come true unless plants have been grown in isolation
Pest resistanceMay be susceptible to caterpillars but generally pest-free
Disease resistanceMay be susceptible to fungal leaf spots, powdery mildews, downy mildews, crown rots and root rots