Common Foxglove
Common foxglove (Digitalis purpurea) stands on slender stalks up to 5-6 feet tall with spikes of showy bell-shaped flowers that are usually pink, purple, or white with contrasting speckles on the inner petals. Foxglove is native to Europe and northwest Africa. It has naturalized in parts of North America. It grows well in zones 3-10.
Traditionally, foxglove is a hardy biennial that forms a rosette of foliage in the first year and then a 3–5-foot spike covered with 20-80 downward-facing tubular flowers in the second year. Some modern hybrid varieties will flower in the first year. Foxglove blooms heavily from early spring through midsummer. Although the plant dies after blooming, foxglove will self-seed prolifically the next year. Deadhead plants to avoid too many seedlings, while leaving some flower stalks for reseeding and attracting birds to the garden in the fall.
Foxglove grows well in full sun with light afternoon shade in moist, well-drained slightly acidic (pH 5.5-6.5) soil high in organic matter. Sow seeds in late summer, and plant transplants in early fall to establish them before cold weather arrives. Set transplants in containers in late spring. Thin seedlings to 18 inches apart. They thrive best in cooler temperatures and may wilt when it is over 90 degrees F.
Be careful where it is planted. Foxglove contains poisonous chemicals that can affect the heart if consumed by people and pets. Digitalis, a heart medicine that is professionally prepared, is derived from foxglove.
Foxglove looks stately in tall borders, along backgrounds, in cottage gardens, and against buildings or fences. It looks exceptional in mass plantings. It works well with Hosta, Lady’s Mantle, and Gomphrena. Hummingbirds and bees visit the beautiful blossoms. The flowers have a lip on which bees can land to obtain nectar. The blossoms also look lovely in floral arrangements. Cutting the stems when the lower flowers are beginning to open allows blossoms to bloom for up to about 14 days in a vase.
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