Foxglove: Facts, varieties, uses, care tips and more

Hummingbirds and bumblebees adore the stately foxglove, which has tall, graceful spikes covered in bell-shaped blossoms. They have abundant early spring blooms, require little maintenance, and produce beautiful cut flowers.

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In most areas, the common foxglove (Digitalis Purpurea) is a biennial or short-lived herbaceous perennial, though some hybrids start blooming right away. The plant only produces a rosette and foliage in its first year; in its second year, it develops a 3 to 5-foot spike protected by 20 to 80 tiny purple, pink, or white tubular flowers that face downward.

Source: Pinterest

See also: Top 10 lovely spring flowers you can plant

Foxglove: Key facts

Scientific Name	Digitalis Purpurea
Genus	Digitalis
Native	Europe, the Mediterranean region, and the Canary Islands
Soil	Moist, well-drained soil
Sun	Full exposure to sunlight
Bloom time	Early Summer- Spring
Flower colour	Pink, cream, rose, purple, and white

Foxglove: Physical description

Normally, foxgloves attain a height of 45 to 150 cm (18 to 60 inches). They produce interchanging, ovate-to-oblong leaves on the lower portion of the stem. The stem’s top is topped by a tall, one-sided grouping with somewhat drooping bell-shaped blossoms, each of which can grow to a length of 6.5 cm (2.5 inches). The inside of the flowers, which can be purple, yellow, or white, is frequently spotted. The majority of species are biennials, which means that they flower in their second year before dying after seeding. The fruits are dried capsules filled with a lot of tiny seeds.

Source: Pinterest

Foxglove: Varieties

There are many cultivars of foxglove as well as a few hybrids that are widely available. Listed below are some favourites.

‘Alba’ has 4-foot sturdy stalks with pure white flowers.
Three to four feet tall, “Apricot Beauty” has apricot-pink flowers with spotted interiors.
A variety known as the “Camelot” series blooms the first year; in the South, they can be handled as cool-season annuals; the flowers are 3-foot stalks that are coloured lavender, rose, and white, and they face outward rather than downward.
The 4-foot-tall, sturdy stalks of “Candy Mountain” bear big, upturned flowers. As the flowers get older, they transition from rose to purple.
‘Foxy’ also reliably blooms from seed the first year; the flowers are up to three feet tall and come in white, cream, purple, and rose hues.

Source: Pinterest

Foxglove: How to grow?

Foxglove thrives in direct sunlight with a little afternoon shade. The best soil for growing foxglove plants is one that drains well. Maintaining moist soil is an important part of caring for foxglove plants. By keeping the soil from drying out or becoming too wet, you can promote the regrowth of foxglove flowers, which are biennial or short-lived perennials.

Add a 3- to 4-inch layer of aged manure or compost to the soil to prepare it. You can grow foxglove flowers from seeds, and they will bloom the following year. Late in the summer, sow seeds. Early fall is the ideal time to plant any seedlings so that they can develop a root system before the cold weather sets in. Alternatively, plant containers in the late spring or the fall.

Foxglove plants reproduce profusely if flower heads are not removed. They can be used as cut flowers to cut down on reseeding.

Foxglove: Care tips

Foxglove plants need regular watering until they are established.
Feed your plants an equitable granular plant food each spring. In the spring, apply an organic mulch around plants that is 5-7.5cm (2-3in) thick, such as compost or composted bark.
Cut the faded flower stems back to the ground once the first blossoms have finished blooming and give them a healthy dose of liquid plant food. This could stimulate a second blooming cycle, especially in the plants which bloom early.

Source: Pinterest

Foxglove: Medicinal uses

In the 18th century, foxglove leaves were used to treat heart failure and were once a source of heart stimulants. For use in medicine, Digitalis Purpurea is grown because it produces cardiac glycoside digoxin. Although this substance is toxic in large doses, it is occasionally used in small doses to treat cardiac failure and some types of abnormal heart rhythms.

FAQs

Do foxgloves attract bees?

Yes. Bumblebees can land on each one's tiny lip to get to the nectar at the tube's base. The flowers might also attract hummingbirds.

Is foxglove toxic to people?

Digitalis and other cardiac glycosides are present in the common garden plant known as foxglove (Digitalis Purpurea). The heart is impacted by these chemicals. Although documented poisonings from foxglove are extremely uncommon, the plant is poisonous.

Got any questions or point of view on our article? We would love to hear from you.

Write to our Editor-in-Chief Jhumur Ghosh at jhumur.ghosh1@housing.com

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