Foxglove

The tall spires of a stand of foxglove, rising up in the garden in early summer, is a sight to behold. Most are biennials, that is, they need two years to bloom and then die in the fall. But if you can get a stand going, they'll reseed so prolifically it will seem they're perennials.

To be successful with foxgloves, they must have rich, moist, well-drained soil and light shade, especially in the afternoon. (They'll do fine in full sun in the northern third of the country.) These tall plants also need to be out of any wind. Plants may rebloom if deadheaded after the first flush of bloom.

Light:

Part Sun

Zones:

3-8

Plant Type:

Perennial

Plant Height:

1-5 feet tall

Plant Width:

1-3 feet wide

Landscape Uses:

Containers,Beds & Borders

Special Features:

Flowers,Attracts Hummingbirds,Deer Resistant,Easy to Grow

Top Varieties

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Common foxglove

Digitalis purpurea is a short-lived self-sowing perennial or biennial. They are a mainstay in cottage gardens. Zones 5-8
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'Foxy' foxglove

Digitalis purpurea 'Foxy' blooms reliably from seed its first year with 2- to 3-foot-tall spikes of pink, purple, white, or cream with maroon markings. Zones 5-8
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Strawberry foxglove

Digitalis x mertonensis bears strawberry-red bloom spikes up to 3 feet tall. Divide plants every two to three years to maintain vigor. Zones 4-8
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Woolly foxglove

Digitalis lanata is an Eastern European native that grows 1-2 feet tall and bears bicolor white and brown flowers in June and July. Zones 4-9
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Garden Plans

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Soft-Color Shade Garden Plan
Lush Foliage Garden Plan
Fragrant Entry Garden Plan
Fragrant Slope Garden Plan
Fragrant Spring Bulb Garden Plan
Rose Arbor Garden Plan
Easy Street-Side Garden Plan
Colorful Front Entry Garden Plan 2
Nook Garden
Front Walk Garden Plan
Colorful Front Yard Cottage Garden Plan

Plant It With

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Lady's mantle

Bluish-green mounds of lady's mantle topped with chartreuse blooms create a lovely partner for the tall spires of foxglove.

Hosta

Try placing variegated hosta behind foxglove to make the bloom stalks stand out in partial shade.

Periwinkle

Low-growing lungwort looks superb when its silvery splotched foliage teams with towering purplish-pink foxglove.

Propagation

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Seed
Division