Foxglove

Digitalis purpurea

Foxgloves are a native British wildflower that has earned its place in cultivated gardens through sheer dramatic beauty. Their tall spikes of tubular, spotted flowers in June and July are a classic feature of cottage gardens and woodland edges. As biennials, they form a rosette of leaves in their first year and flower in their second, after which the plant dies — but self-seeding is so prolific that once you have foxgloves, you'll always have foxgloves. They thrive in partial shade and moist, humus-rich soil, making them perfect for planting under trees and in the back of borders. The native species is purple-pink, but there are beautiful cultivated forms in white, apricot, and yellow. All parts of the plant are highly toxic — the source of the heart drug digitalis — so exercise caution around children and pets. Bumblebees adore foxgloves, crawling deep into the tubular flowers for nectar, emerging with pollen-dusted backs.

Plan where to grow Foxglove using our vegetable garden planner.