List 4 – Digitalis purpurea
Digitalis purpurea (foxglove)
Family: Plantaginaceae
USDA Hardiness Zone: Zone 4-8
Size:
- 1-2.5 ft wide
- 2-5 ft tall
Form:
- Bushy
Soil & Water requirements:
- Medium moisture
- Well-drained soil
Exposure:
- Full sun to part shade
Leaves:
- First year: basal rosette forms; oblong leaves
- Second year: leafy spires rise from the basal leaves, with flowers toward the top
- Herbaceous biennial or short-lived perennial
Flowers:
- White to deep pink to purple flowers; 6cm long
- Small spots inside throat of flower; nectar-guides
- 2 or more months of bloom
- Tall spires (2-4 ft) of flowers; showy
- Flowers start to bloom from the base of the spire and work their way to the top
- Flowers bloom in second year of establishment
Suitable uses:
- Cottage garden feel
- Informal garden
- Woodland garden
- In front of a wall or evergreen shrub
Attracts:
- Bees
- Hummingbirds
Propagation:
- Self-sows
- Sometimes considered to be a weedy plant in the garden
Other:
- European native