FOXGLOVES
Digitalis purpurea
Digitalis purpurea: a stunning, classic species of Foxglove with a wide array of beautiful cultivars to choose Botanically, Digitalis purpurea is classified as a biennial. This means they spend their first year establishing strong root systems and lush green foliage, followed by a dramatic show of flowers and seeds in their second year. Because they are overzealous self-seeders, they often give the illusion of being a permanent perennial in the garden, returning year after year in delightful unexpected spots.
Digitalis purpurea cultivars available:
‘Alba’: Classic, crisp white spikes that illuminate shady corners.
‘Apricot Beauty’: Soft, pastel apricot-pink blooms for a romantic cottage feel.
‘Excelsior Group’: Known for flowers that ring all the way around the stem, rather than nodding to one side.
‘Pam’s Choice’: Striking white throats heavily speckled with deep burgundy.
Camelot Series (Available in Cream, White, Lavender, and Pink): Renowned for being heavily budded and uniform.
Dalmatian Series (Available in Purple and Peach): A fast-growing, compact series with prominent interior spotting.
‘Arctic Fox Rose’: An exceptional hybrid known for its long bloom time and vibrant rose-pink color.
Foxglove Pams Choice
Foxglove Excelsior
A Foxglove in its second year presenting a spectacular spike of flowers.
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GROWING DIGITALIS
In the late spring garden, Foxgloves bring striking color and dramatic architectural height to ornamental beds. Best of all for Island homeowners, they are completely deer and rabbit resistant!
Ideal Growing Conditions
Soil & Moisture: Digitalis thrives in moist, organically rich, slightly acidic, and well-drained soil. Unlike drought-tolerant perennials, foxgloves require consistent moisture and must not be allowed to dry out completely.
Light: They perform beautifully in full sun to partial shade.
Bloom Window: Expect a spectacular show from May through June.
The Biennial Lifecycle: Let Them Naturalize
Because common foxgloves are biennials, they reseed and colonize the landscape in the most interesting and beautiful ways.
Nursery Tip: While removing spent flower spikes can encourage smaller secondary blooms, deadheading is not recommended if you want the plants to naturalize. Letting that primary, most impressive spike go to seed ensures a permanent, self-sustaining colony in your garden for years to come.
Design & Landscape Uses
With a height range spanning from 2 to 5 feet (such as the more compact 3-to-4-foot Camelot Series), foxgloves are incredibly versatile. They are perfect for structural background plantings in cottage beds, mixed borders, and look spectacular when allowed to drift through shaded woodland edges and naturalized areas. As an added bonus, their tubular blooms are a magnet for local hummingbirds!
Foxglove Alba
Foxgloves ‘Apricot Beauty’ in the back
Foxgloves ‘Apricot’
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Did You Know? The Art & Science of Foxglove
While modern gardeners prize Foxglove (Digitalis) for its dramatic, towering blooms, this striking plant carries a rich and complex history as a powerful medicinal agent. The dried leaves of Digitalis purpurea contain digoxin, a cardiac glycoside used to this day to treat heart failure and cardiac arrhythmia. Its medical properties were first formally popularized in 1785 by the British physician and botanist William Withering, who documented how precise doses helped the heart pump more efficiently.
Perhaps the most intriguing historical footnote involves the painter Vincent van Gogh. Some art historians theorize that Van Gogh was prescribed digitalis to treat his epilepsy. In high doses, digoxin poisoning can cause a visual condition called xanthopsia, which tints a person's vision yellow and causes them to see glowing halos around light sources and objects.
Many have wondered if this side effect influenced Van Gogh’s famous "yellow period" and his signature use of swirling halos. In fact, Van Gogh painted his physician, Dr. Gachet, holding a foxglove stalk, and even depicted himself holding the plant in a portrait. While the theory behind his color palette remains captivating speculation, it underscores the undeniable, centuries-old power of this ordinary garden favorite.
Vineyard Gardens front bed with many biennials on display; Angelica, Echium, a couple types of Digitalis and Fennel.
Foxglove Fergs pale yellow
Foxglove covering past foliage
Foxglove Digitalis Camelot Lavender