Full of nectar, shade tolerant, anti slugand architecture, you can never have enough foxgloves in the garden, and these perennial forms deserve to be planted more widely.
Most of the foxgloves grown are native to our area. Digitalis purple or its hybrid: is two yearsThey flower in their second year and then self-seed. However, of the 27 species Digitalis, Most are perennials, meaning they will bloom year after year for many years; despite this privilege, they are a rare sight in gardens. Possessing a wonderful structure and blooming in fashionable colours (from pale yellow to bronze), they are wonderful in a border, and even better, they add the charm that our beloved wild foxgloves bring to the garden.
One of our most famous native wildflowers, the biennial D. purple adorn the edges of British woodlands in June and July. Encrusted with poison and growing in distinctive upright spikes that resemble a witch’s wand, the flowers buzz with the sound of bees. Long tongues ground bee They crawl into their pink-purple hoods, disappearing momentarily as they collect nectar. Associated with fairies and magic, foxgloves are steeped in folklore: in northern England it is considered bad luck to bring them into the house, and in Wales, foxglove dye is used to mark the house, to protect it. Common names for the flower include witches’ scepter, fairy hat and dead man’s bell. The latter of course denotes the toxicity of all foxgloves – including the perennial forms – so if you have small children or puppies, plant them safely at the back of the border, out of reach.
Both biennial and perennial foxgloves grow best in partial shade, but they will grow well in sun or shade, as long as the soil is not too dry or too wet. Humus-rich soil is ideal, providing good drainage and moisture retention. If you want to grow perennial foxgloves in a sunny gravel bed, there are several varieties that will do well, including Digitalis lanata. Most perennials have a relatively short lifespan (lasting only 3 to 5 years), but under the right conditions they can flower for much longer, and since most can self-seed throughout the garden, this short-lived habit is nothing to complain about.
Like biennials, they can be used to provide vertical accents and are often better at this, with some (such as D. ferruginae) grow into sleek, imposing towers. Scattered at the front or centre of a border, they allow plants behind to be seen, while also creating visual punctuation and a sense of depth. Growing in small clumps, they will fill even the smallest garden and can be grown in containers. Growing Perennial Foxgloves among roseother perennials, and grasses in the sun, or with ferns, geraniums, and crane beak IN Shade. Reminiscent of wildflowers, they fit easily into current trends nature planting, bringing beauty and a sense of the wild into our gardens and filling the air with the joyful hum of the bees.
first. Digitalis grandiflora General Meeting of Shareholders
For the classic foxglove flower shape
Position: Sun or light shade
Height: 60-90cm
A stunning foxglove that looks like a primrose yellow version of the common foxglove but will bloom year round in June and July. Ground bees visit the large flowers, using the hairs inside the ribbed cap to reach the nectar. In the right location, this perennial can be long-lived and self-seeding.
2. Digitalis ferruginae General Meeting of Shareholders
For vertical accents
Position: Sun or light shade
Height: 90-120cm
A tall, stylish foxglove for the modern garden, the rusty foxglove produces round, bronze and lemon flowers with chocolate-coloured veins throughout the summer. It produces slender spires of tightly packed flowers that dry into attractive seed pods, perfect for punctuating vertical borders. The cultivar ‘Gigantea’ can grow up to 1.5m tall. This short-lived evergreen perennial is easy to grow. grow from seed and self-seeds. It can tolerate dry soil, even in shade.
3. Digitalis x Mertonensis General Meeting of Shareholders
For a small garden
Position: Sun or part shade
Height: 60-90cm
Generous deep pink bells on stout stems adorn the charming strawberry foxglove in early summer. A hybrid between the popular biennial and perennial foxgloves Digitalis grandiflora, Can be divided annually (in spring or after flowering) to ensure flowering each year. Can also be grown from seed.
4. dark digital
For a gravel border
Position: Sun
Height: 50-70 cm
A perennial shrubby foxglove from Spain, this plant loves the sun and even thrives in poor, dry soil, making it ideal for a gravel garden. In early summer, its bell-shaped flowers bloom in warm shades of sunset: buttercup, ginger and deep pink. Also known as willow-leaf foxglove, it has slender leaves that give the plant a penstemon-like appearance. Easy to grow from seed and grows best in the temperate southern half of the UK.
5. Digitalis lutea General Meeting of Shareholders
To light up a shady corner
Position: Sun or part shade
Height: 60-100cm
A wonderfully slender foxglove that fits into both natural and modern planting schemes. Elegant, slender pale cream-coloured spikes on slender green leaves, with little trumpet-shaped flowers that bee-visited in summer. It is a reliable perennial, flowering for many years and self-seeding in the right conditions.
6. digital lanata ‘Coffee ice cream’
For structure
Position: Sun or light shade
Height: 60 to 90cm
The slender unbranched columns of densely packed round flowers give this evergreen perennial plenty of architectural presence in the summer border. The flowers are yellow, white and cappuccino with distinctive veining and are offset by the woolly grey evergreen leaves. Prefers full sun and can tolerate drier soils such as gravel beds. This species produces the heart medication digoxin.
7. Digitalis x Valinii ‘Firebird’
For color
Position: Sun or part shade
Height: 80-90cm
This recent introduction features honey, peach and raspberry flowers on dark stems, above lanceolate evergreen leaves. Runner-up in RHS Chelsea Flower Show Plant of the Year 2019, ideal for colourful borders or woodland style areas and will attract bees to the garden. Tolerates temperatures down to -5°C.
8. Digitalis parviflora Jacq General Meeting of Shareholders
For wildlife
Position: Sun or part shade
Height: 60-70cm
Columnar spires of small cinnamon-brown bells on soft stems above large green leaves in summer. Another fashionable variety, foxglove, is grown for its caramel colour and nectar, which attracts groundhog bees. Enhance the colour of terracotta by planting it with grasses such as Deschampsia cespitosa ‘Goldtau’.
9. Digitalis canariensis Bella
For evergreen leaves
Position: Sun or part shade
Height: 75-120cm
A few foxgloves are shrubs or small trees. This unusual evergreen is one of them. A tender plant, the Canary Island foxglove is only suitable for the mildest regions of the UK or Greenhouse. With large plum blossoms on glossy leaves, this flower is perfect for an exotic-style border. Species (syn. Isoplexis canariensis) can grow up to 1.5m high.
ten. Digitalis purple subspecies Heywoodii ‘Silver Fox’
For bright white flowers
Position: Sun or part shade
Height: 50-75cm
Attractive white bells on pale grey felt foliage in late spring and early summer. A hybrid between the biennial and perennial foxgloves, it sometimes looks like a short-lived perennial, flowering for several years. Growing on wild granite, it responds well to good drainage and thrives in full sun. Can be grown from seed.
